


Somewhere Between Time and Space

by smiley9999



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F, Humor, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 10:26:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20505440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiley9999/pseuds/smiley9999
Summary: This story starts at the beginning of Relativity. Seven of Nine goes back in time to save Voyager, but finds herself drawn to Captain Janeway. The night before launch they share the first of several interactions that threaten to alter the future timeline, But that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

**Voyager (Night before launch at Earth's Space Dock)**

Seven felt the oxygen leave her lungs when she saw Captain Kathryn Janeway step onto the bridge of Intrepid-class USS Voyager, standing just a few feet away as she talked to a Starfleet Admiral. She was much younger and her hair looked a lot different than when she had last seen her, but she was still just as beautiful. The sight of the familiar face intensified her determination to complete her mission and make sure that the Captain and the rest of the Voyager's crew did not die. She averted her gaze when she noticed the Captain and Admiral walking towards her.

"Excuse me, Ensign," Janeway said, as she continued walking with her superior officer. Although she looked calm, cool, and collected on the outside, her heart almost literally stopped beating at the sight of the beautiful blonde. _Whoa! Who is THAT? She is absolutely stunning! _Blinking rapidly, startled at the thought of finding another woman attractive. Nevertheless, her eyes were glued to the breathtaking beauty as she gripped her coffee mug tight and hoped that her shaking hands would not cause her to drop and spill the hot beverage all over the control panels. She had never been affected so strongly by another woman, but she couldn't deny the rush of arousal surging through her. It was more intense than anything she had ever felt before. Hell, not even her fiancé affected her this way. As she continued to gaze appreciatively at the flawless figure just a few feet away, she felt her cheeks redden when she realized that the blonde was staring back at her, with one eyebrow arched in question and a knowing look in her eyes. Embarrassed at having been caught ogling a junior officer, Janeway cleared her throat and turned back to the Admiral.

Seven frowned as she tried to decipher the facial expression on the Captain's face. Her pupils were dilated and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her acute olfactory senses picked up a marked increase in pheromones being emitted from the older woman's body. Her eyes widened when she saw the Captain's eyes move slowly up and down her body. _I must have something on my shirt_. She looked down to see that her uniform was spotless and impeccable, as always. _That's not it. Besides, uniform stains do not elicit the release of pheromones. _Her eyes widened. _Wait, she was checking me out! _She glanced over her shoulder just to make sure she was right and noticed the Captain deep in conversation with her superior officer. _I must be imagining things. How human of me. _Still, she felt a slight pang of disappointment and she tried to shake it off and return her focus on the task at hand. She moved over to a control center farther away and discretely checked in with her commanding officer, who ordered her to keep searching the ship and avoid interacting with Captain Janeway at all costs so as not to disrupt the timeline.

Janeway shook her head, inwardly wondering why her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the blonde. She knew she had to rid herself of thoughts like that, because one, she was the captain and couldn't fraternize with any of the crew, and two she was to be a married woman once she returned. She took a calming breath as she led the Admiral into the briefing room that she had observed the blonde enter just moments before, and made a show of critiquing the ship. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she straightened her shoulders and assumed her most commanding pose.

"What do you think, Ensign?" Her voice came out strong and sure as ever, and was relieved that she could contain her authoritativeness even when her body screamed with this unexplained desire.

Startled, Seven looked up at the other woman. "Captain?" _Stay calm. There's no way she can recognize you._

"What's your opinion of this room?" _Oh my god, really? My first chance to talk to this beautiful woman and I'm asking about what she thinks of the briefing room? I really need to get out more…. Oh geez Katie what are you thinking, this isn't going to happen and remember I'm about to be a married woman._ Her eyes automatically moved up and down the blonde's body once again. She inwardly gritted her teeth and composed her impulses and strange desires; standing tall she inhaled deeply and ignored her impulses.

Seven hesitated, confused by the both the question and the odd look in the Captain's eyes. _Now I'm certain she was checking me out!_ "It's an efficient design," she finally responded, almost in her Borg fashion, averting her gaze back to the computer.

Janeway smirked as she turned to the Admiral. "Well, there you go. It's efficient. I was wrong." She walked closer to Seven. "By the way I didn't catch your name, Ensign."

Seven stared at the Captain's before she quietly cleared her throat. "Jameson, Anna. Service number 86790."

Janeway smiled as she shook her hand. "Relax, Anna. I'm just trying to get to know everyone. So, what are you working on?"

"I'm attempting to realign the EPS manifolds."

"I see. Do you need any help?" Kathryn leaned forward to check the readings on the monitor.

"No," Seven quickly responded, turning to press a series of buttons on the monitor in front of her as she tried not to think about how close the Captain was standing to her. Even though they stood close like this many times before, she just couldn't explain why it bothered her now, and that in itself disturbed the former Borg. Feeling Janeway's eyes boring into her, she turned back to face the older woman. "I'm not actually a member of Voyager's crew, Captain. I'm on temporary assignment here."

"Oh I see," Kathryn answered, now feeling strangely relieved, yet disappointed that she wouldn't get a chance to see her on a daily basis. "Perhaps I'll see you at the party this evening?" She couldn't help but ask.

"No," Seven responded curtly. "I mean, I will finish up here today and head back to headquarters for my next assignment," she explained dryly.

Kathryn felt a wave of disappointment flood over her, but nevertheless maintained her professional demeanor. "Surely you can spare a couple of hours to come and celebrate Voyager's launch with us. After all, you've obviously worked very hard to get us ready to go. You might as well be rewarded for your efforts," she tried yet again, as she looked expectantly at the blonde, and had to wonder where this was all coming from.

Seven felt a series of unfamiliar sensations in her chest and stomach, and after a quick assessment of her cardiovascular activity analyzed her symptoms as a mild form of the emotion humans refer to as anxiety. "I'm sorry, Captain. I have to report to headquarters as soon as I am done here."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps our paths will cross again."

"Perhaps they will," Seven answered, and then watched as the Captain departed with the Admiral. "In fact, I can guarantee we will meet again," she muttered under her breath. She inhaled a sigh of relief that her interaction with Janeway was over, and with any luck, the future timeline was not damaged as a result. After finding nothing in the Jefferies tube, she slipped away and quickly updated Relativity on the lack of results in her mission. She informed the Lieutenant of her talk with Captain Janeway, bracing herself for the reprimand she was certain was coming her way.

Lieutenant Ducane sighed heavily. "You have to go to that party," he ordered.

"I can't. What about avoiding Janeway and disrupting the timeline?"

"Well, I think it's safe to say you've already contaminated the timeline just by talking to her," he said.

"Exactly. So why risk further contact?"

"Because it may just cause more damage to the future if you don't go, especially if the saboteur is there." he informed.

"Explain," Seven demanded.

Lieutenant Ducane sighed again. "You've obviously caught her attention. You know how persistent Janeway is; if she's curious about Anna Jameson and starts digging around Starfleet for more information, it could cause even more problems."

"So what happens to the timeline if I go this party? How will further contact with her impact the future?"

"That is not clear," he answered honestly.

"In other words, you're uncertain of the ramifications," Seven stated, clearly not pleased with the ambiguity of the situation.

"Well, no, not really. But uncertainty is a big part of the equation."

"I don't like it," Seven responded. "Wouldn't it be a more efficient use of my time to finish searching the ship?"

"I don't like it either, but as I said he or she might be at this event," the Lieutenant informed. "So your orders are to go to this party, but keep a low profile. Have a drink, make a little small talk with Janeway, and then you get the hell out of there and back to Voyager to complete your mission. And while you're there, keep your eyes and ears open; you may find a clue to the saboteur at this party."

"Understood," Seven responded, and then quietly left the ship. _What does one wear to a Starfleet party, anyway?_

Meanwhile, back on Voyager, Captain Janeway frowned as she looked down at her PADD.

"Problem?"

She looked up at the Admiral. "I'm reading some kind of chronoton flux."

"Chronotons?"

"The readout says point zero zero three. It's coming from the Jefferies tube on deck four."

"Let's get someone on it," the Admiral commanded.

"No, I'll check it out. I've been wanting to get my hands dirty," Janeway grinned, rubbing her hands together in anticipation before heading to deck four.

**Ballroom at Starfleet Headquarters (Night before Voyager launch)**

Seven felt strangely nervous as she walked into the grand ballroom. She smiled at the sight of the familiar faces of Tom Paris and Harry Kim, and had to remind herself that these men were not her friends, not yet anyway. She found a spot in the corner that gave her a clear view of the ballroom, and sat at a small table, sipping her champagne as she scanned the room looking for anyone or anything that seemed out of place. She was so focused on her observations that she didn't notice the person who approached until she heard the familiar voice.

"Well hello there. Tell me, what's a beautiful woman like you doing sitting all alone here?"

Seven smirked and turned to look at Harry Kim. "Well hello, Ensign," she greeted him. "Is that your customary greeting for approaching unknown females, or is this the first step in your courtship ritual?" Seven asked, sounding just like a Borg.

Stunned, Harry furrowed his brows. "Uh um, courtship ritual?" He choked, and now felt totally like a dork, and wished he had better skills.

"Are you looking for a potential marital partner and mother of your children, or do you simply desire one night of copulation?" Seven said evenly, her brow narrowed sharply at the man.

"Ummmm," Harry swallowed and shook his head, unsure of how to respond, as he felt his cheeks heat up with humiliation. He shot a pleading look over to Paris, who picked up a drink and walked over to join them. He smiled as he handed another glass of champagne to the blonde. "Hello, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris, the Helmsmen of Voyager."

Seven sighed. "Yes, I am aware," she eyed the champagne the Lieutenant gave her and slightly rolled her eyes at it. "I have my own drink, and I am quite capable of getting myself another, so you really don't need to try." She smiled coyly at him and just merely sipped at her own drink slowly.

"Oh but, I didn't even get your name." His cockiness unwavering by the direct comment the blonde made.

"Anna Jameson," she responded and hoped that would be the last of their conversation.

"Nice to meet you, Anna," Tom said with a swaggering grin. "Are you going to be joining us on Voyager?"

"No," Seven replied with another sigh.

"Well, that's too bad," Tom said smoothly, and took another step closer to her. "I was really hoping that we could get to know each other better." Tom Paris was one hundred percent in his element as he flirted with the beautiful woman and was undeterred by the lack of encouragement from the blonde. Harry had noticed her first and called dibs, but it was obvious that his friend had struck out, so it was only fair that he take a shot at romancing her _Time to show Harry how a real ladies' man operates_. "I suppose we'll have to make the most of what little time we have together this evening, since I ship out in the morning," he boasted. Finishing the last drop of his drink, he handed the empty glass to his friend and turned back to Anna. "What do you say, Anna; would you care to go somewhere a little more private and get better acquainted?"

Seven shook her head and gave an even longer sigh this time, but before she could tell him no she was interrupted by that commanding yet intriguingly enticing voice that seemed to make the hairs on her neck stand up and take attention. The former Borg had to compose herself for the first time ever just by the sound of her voice. "Mr. Paris, please tell me that you are not hitting on your commanding officer's guest," Captain Janeway remarked, annoyed at her crewman's behavior. Seven had to stifle back her laughter at the horrified look on Tom's face.

"What? No! Of course not!" Tom sputtered, completely caught off guard. Stunned, he looked back and forth between the two women. "I'm sorry, Captain, I meant no disrespect. I was simply making sure that your guest was being attended to in your absence," Tom covered, relaxing as he smiled his most charming smile. "And now you are here, so I will wish you a good evening. Enjoy the party and I shall see you bright and early at 0600 tomorrow, Captain." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Harry's arm and quickly led him back to the bar, feeling completely frustrated that his Captain interrupted his seduction.

Kathryn's eyes twinkled as she watched the two men practically run away, feeling proud of how easily she had rattled her young Helmsman. She turned back to the blonde, her lips curved into a pleased smile. "I see you decided to join us after all," she said, her words smoothly falling off her tongue in a confident purr.

"I did," Seven politely answered, as she took a sip of her drink. Normally unflappable, she was feeling quite unsettled at the moment.

"Well, I'm glad you changed your mind. I was hoping to talk with you more."

Seven couldn't hide her surprise. "You were? Did you want to know more about the adjustments I made to the EPS manifolds?" She rambled on, feeling so un-adapted at the moment.

Kathryn chuckled softly. "No, I already checked them after you finished. The readouts were accurate and precise, down to the last decimal point."

"Yes, I know," the Borg agreed rather directly. "My work is always accurate and precise, Captain."

"Is that so? Hmm, I'll have to keep that in mind," Kathryn replied, swallowing back her laughter at the confidence radiating off the blonde. "And please, call me Kathryn," she husked, and then quickly swallowed at the sound of her own voice.

"Kathryn," Seven repeated, the name sounding both foreign and pleasant on her lips. She could not recall anyone other than perhaps Commander Chakotay to call her by her given name.

"Is that a problem?"

"I'm not accustomed to addressing superior officers so informally," Seven answered honestly. "Starfleet protocol requires that I address officers by their formal rank."

"Well, that is true, however, I'm not 'your' commanding officer," the older woman explained.

_Not yet, anyway_, Seven thought.

"So please, I'd prefer you call me Kathryn and I'll call you Anna. Unless that makes you uncomfortable?"

Seven finished off her champagne to settle her nerves. "Okay, Kathryn," she said, trying not to feel rattled by this never before seen side of this woman.

Kathryn moved closer and whispered in her ear. "So, Anna, would you like to dance with me?" _Well, that's certainly new. I've never danced with a woman before, so why now?_

"You want to dance? With me?" Seven choked.

"Sure, why not?" Kathryn's light, playful tone successfully masked the inner turmoil at her uncharacteristic behavior. "My fiancé isn't here and I really want to dance. What do you say, Anna; shall we?" She held out a hand to the blonde, uncertain if she wanted her invitation to be accepted or rejected.

Seven felt warmth spread through her chest and quickly ascertained that this unfamiliar sensation was consistent with something called sexual arousal, a concept she had become familiar with when she researched the courtship and sexual behaviors of Tom and B'Elanna on Voyager. She had even experienced hints and flashes of it when she was within close proximity to Captain Janeway when she was a member of her crew, but knew it would never be anything more so she had learned how to turn it off. However, the sensations were much more intense, and even with an eidetic memory she knew she had never before experienced what she was feeling right this moment. Seven of Nine could NEVER share a dance with the Captain, but right now, they were simply Anna and Kathryn. Besides, it was just a dance. It's not like they were going to retreat to the Captain's quarters or Cargo Bay 2 and copulate. _What the fuck? I think I'm malfunctioning having these thoughts. And now I just used an old terrain slang word._ She winced inwardly as she gulped down the last of her drink and nodded, and then automatically took hold of her Captain's hand. She quickly felt the warmth and the softness of it reaching the same parts of her anatomy that she tried desperately to regain control over just moments before. "I'd love to dance with you, Kathryn," she said remembering to be polite and actually smiled forgetting that she never smiles. _What the fuck? She sighed to herself as that damn word filled her cortical node once again._

Kathryn led Seven out onto the dance floor and pulled her close as the music played. _What am I doing? What about Mark? Wait, Mark who?_ She tried to put thoughts of her fiancé out of her mind for the moment. _I'm not doing anything wrong; I'm just being polite to someone who helped get my ship ready. Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. I would be doing this for anyone, so what if she's the most breathtakingly beautiful woman I've ever seen? Yeah keep telling yourself that Katie._ Exhausted with the thoughts racing around in her brain, she closed her eyes to drown out her inner voice and on instinct and of her desire to feel more of this beautiful woman ,she just slowly pulled the blonde a little bit closer.

Seven of Nine felt the warmth radiating off of Kathryn's body as they slowly swayed to the music, and for the moment she forgot all about temporal directives, saboteurs, and contaminated timelines and simply lost herself in how incredible it felt to be dancing with this woman. She couldn't help but think about what it might be like if this actually were their first meeting. No Borg links to sever, no superior-subordinate relationship, just two women who meet and connect like this.

"You're a very good dancer," Kathryn whispered in the blonde's ear, and a satisfied smile curved her lips at the way Anna quivered in response.

"Thank you. The Doctor was an adequate teacher," Seven replied.

"The Doctor? Who is the Doctor?" Kathryn felt annoyed, yet was unsure if she was annoyed with this doctor who had obviously danced with this woman or with herself for being a little jealous of him.

Seven faltered at the slip, unaccustomed to making such mistakes. It was unfamiliar to her and she found she did not like it at all. "He's a friend of mine," she covered. "He taught me how to dance."

Kathryn felt her jaw tighten. "Well, he did an excellent job. You're quite good at it. So you two are close?" She asked wanting to know if this young woman was taken. Yet what right did she have? She was the one who was engaged.

"So are you," Seven murmured. "And yes we are close." Her voice sounded lower and huskier than normal and it caused Kathryn's entire body to thrum in response. She tried not to think about the way her body was responding to Anna Jameson or the fact that she was feeling a little resentful over some doctor she had never meant. She was simply not willing to admit that she was smitten by a woman…THIS woman. Her senses were on overload as they danced…Anna's breath on her neck, the softness of her curves, the sound of their hearts beating against each other, the pressure of their breasts touching. It was all too much and sent a jolt through Kathryn's body. She pulled back slightly, her eyes drawn to the blonde's full lips and she wondered what it would be like to kiss those full pouty lips. _Whoa! Where did that come from? I can't be thinking like that. Remember Katie I'm engaged to what was his name…Mike no Mark. Yes Mark …I love Mark_.

As that thought rolled in her mind, Janeway thought she had better put some distance between her and this woman. She was thankful when the music stopped and the Admiral stepped up to the microphone and called out her name. _Thank God for interruptions!_ Pulling away, she held one of Anna's hands between her own. "Thank you for the dance," she said with a smile. "But I'm afraid that duty calls." She gave the blonde's hand a gentle squeeze, but didn't let go.

"Understood," Seven replied, feeling more than a little unsettled as well.

"Voyager sets out tomorrow, but I do hope that our paths will cross again," the Captain said. She looked down and noticed that she was still holding Anna's hand, and reluctantly let go, feeling a sense of loss when she did.

"I look forward to it," Seven said, her eyes watching Janeway until she disappeared into a crowd of Starfleet officers. She took a few breaths to get her respiratory and cardiovascular systems back to their homeostatic state before exiting the ballroom to head back to Voyager.

Since the crew was at the party, it was quite easy for Seven to scan the ship and find the weapon she had been looking for. "Seven of Nine to Lieutenant Ducane," she relayed.

"Go ahead," he responded.

"I found the weapon, and it is out of phase. You've sent me to the wrong time frame," she reported.

"At least we now know where the weapon was placed. Now we have to determine when," Ducane advised. "Recalibrate your temporal transport beacon and prepare for transport."

"Understood," Seven responded, and then braced herself to return to Relativity.


	2. Somewhere Between Time and Space

art 2

**Present Day on Voyager**

Kathryn replicated a cup of coffee and tried to shake off the cobwebs in her head. Although it wasn't the first time she had dreamed about Seven of Nine, this one felt very different. It felt like it really happened. …._Pffft like I would ever be dancing at a Starfleet party, I wouldn't even dance with Mark at those events_. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel herself holding the blonde in her arms, the way her body felt against hers and how it truly rattled her while she slow danced with Seven. _Okay, Katie it was just a dream. Time to focus._ She finished her coffee and headed to the Bridge for a report.

"Captain on the Bridge," Tuvok announced, as Janeway walked through the doors.

"As you were," she ordered, glancing at Seven out of the corner of her eye. She felt her cheeks flush when she made eye contact with the former Borg and quickly looked away, thankful that she could not read her mind.

Tuvok approached Janeway with a concerned expression on his face. "Captain, is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Kathryn answered, as her eyes continued to scan the report in front of her. "Was there something else?"

He frowned as he silently studied her for a moment. "You appear to have something on your mind. I am your friend, Captain. Whatever it is, I'm happy to listen."

Kathryn opened her mouth, but before she could respond she received a call from the Doctor summoning her to sickbay. Thank God for interruptions. "Carry on," she commanded, avoiding looking over at Seven as she made her exit and headed towards sickbay.

**********  
**Relativity (500 years into the future)**

"So now what?" Seven asked, anxious to complete the mission that would save her friends.

"You've made this trip three times," Ducane informed her. "Any more jumps and you could suffer from temporal psychosis or even death."

"It could kill me," Seven said, processing the information.

"Yes," he answered honestly and looked to Captain Braxton for support.

"It could kill you, that is true. However, if we don't find the weapon and dismantle it, you and the rest of Voyager will die anyway," he explained.

"Then I will comply," Seven said without hesitation.

"Very well," Braxton patted her on the shoulder and turned to the main computer. "So, anything unusual happen at the party?"

"I'm not certain," she said honestly.

"Oh? And what does that mean?" Braxton narrowed his gaze in on the blonde.

"It means that I do not have sufficient data about Starfleet social gatherings to give you an accurate assessment," Seven explained, her face void of any expression.

"I understand," the Captain said, turning his attention back to his work. "It would have made my job a whole lot easier if whoever planted the weapon had been there wearing a shirt that said 'I sabotaged Voyager' on it."

"I believe you are correct," Seven replied without any variation in her tone. "So, where are you sending me this time?"

"Two years before you joined the crew, Voyager was in a battle with the Kazon. The ship was boarded then and it would have been the perfect time to plant the weapon without being detected," Ducane informed. "You will want to get to the Jefferies tube and find and dismantle the weapon, and then get the hell out of there without being detected by any of the crew."

"Understood," Seven responded.

"Oh, Seven?" She turned to look at Braxton. "There's no dancing during battles. Stay away from Janeway."

An unfamiliar emotion washed over her. Embarassment? I am Borg. I don't get embarrassed. It's a useless emotion. "Yes Sir," she said, and prepared to make the jump back in time.

**Voyager (During Battle with Kazon)**

Seven brought a hand to her forehead as she tried to fight off the headache and dizziness that seemed to accompany these temporal jumps. She moved into an empty alcove and oriented herself, waiting for an opening to sneak into the Jefferies tube and complete her mission. She opened the panel and looked around. "There's no weapon," she tapped her com badge.

"Any uninvited guests?" Braxton asked.

"Not yet."

"Good, now lay low and keep your eyes open," he commanded. "Let's finally catch this guy."

Seven immediately sensed that something was off and hit her com badge again. "They've erected force fields around my location. I may have been detected. How should I proceed?" When she didn't get a response, she tried again. "Lieutenant, respond! Captain Braxton? Relativity, are you there?" Even thought she knew it was in vain, she was trying to push her way through the force field when Janeway and Tuvok walked down the hall to where she was obtained.

"I don't believe we've been introduced, Ensign," Janeway said, as walked to the edge of the force field. She froze in her tracks at what, or rather who, was standing there.

"Lower the force field," Seven ordered.

"I take that back. We have met," Janeway said, ignoring her request. "Two years ago. You told me the briefing room was efficient." She blew out a breath to settle the anxiety building up in her, as she recalled her intimate slow dance with the blonde. So many questions racing through her mind, but first and foremost, she had an obligation as captain of this ship.

"You've mistaken me for someone else," Seven tried, even though she knew it was in vain. "Now lower the force field and I will explain everything, before it's too late." She demanded icily.

"Oh, I don't think so," Kathryn said with a determined gleam in her eyes as she studied the blonde. "I remember everything about you, Anna, Anna Jameson. If that's who you really are." _Was that all a ploy? And how did she get on my ship that's now stranded thousands of light years from home._

"Captain, with all due respect, I am not who you think I am."

Janeway continued speaking as if she had not heard her prisoner speak. "Two years ago I told you that I had hoped our paths would cross again, and here you are, halfway across the galaxy and on my ship. That's quite interesting, don't you think?'

"Captain, you are preventing me from completing a very important mission," Seven tried, her eyes softening.

Janeway glared at the younger woman. "Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?"

"My designation is irrelevant. But I assure you, my intentions are not hostile. Please, you must trust me."

Kathryn laughed mirthlessly. "Well, you'll pardon me if I don't just take your word for it. I'm not going to ask you again. Tell me who you are and what you are doing here," she ordered in her most commanding voice. "Are you working with the Kazon?"

"No I am not."

Tuvok looked up from his tricorder to get his superior's attention. "Captain, I am detecting biomechanical implants with a Borg signature."

Janeway's eyes remained locked onto the other woman's as she tapped her com badge to her First Officer. "Chakotay scan for Borg ships in the vicinity."

"Captain?" Chakotay's voice questioned.

"Just do it." Janeway commanded sharply then turned back to her unwanted guest. "Who are you and how did you get on Voyager?"

Seven sighed. With no direction from Relativity on how to proceed, she was on her own. Sometimes, she really missed being part of a crew. Even the collective would be better than being out here all alone. "I am no longer Borg," she said, looking the other woman right in the eye.

"Who are you?" Janeway needed to know, not just for her crew, but for herself too. She was usually a very good judge of character. She couldn't stand to think that she might have been played by this woman as part of a scheme to harm her crew.

Seven's eyes pleaded with the Captain for trust. "You know who I am, and I'm sorry but I can't answer that," she said honestly.

"Why not?"

This is Captain Janeway. There's no one on this or any other planet that I trust more than her. "It would be a violation of the Temporal Prime Directive," she informed and hoped that her Captain would understand.

"You're from another time?"

"Yes." Seven said and was relieved that Janeway quickly understood.

"Who sent you?"

"I can't tell you that," Seven said. "It would be risking damage to the timeline."

"I don't care if history itself comes unraveled. I want to know why you are on my ship," she hissed, determination and hardness clouding her blue grey eyes.

"Captain, please. Just let me out of here and I will explain everything," Seven tried again, her voice softening.

Janeway studied the blonde for a moment, and something inside her knew she had to give this woman a chance and suddenly she snapped at her chief security officer. "Tuvok, lower the force field and wait outside. I want to talk to our guest in private," she ordered.

"Captain, I…"

"That's an order," she commanded firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Tuvok reluctantly did as he was told and moved a few away in case he was needed.

"Now talk."

"My name is Seven of Nine. I am a member of your crew, I mean, I will be a member of your crew," she said. "I've traveled back in time to prevent a disaster that will destroy Voyager and everyone on it. You don't know it, but there will come a time in the future when you will trust me."

"You expect me to believe that sometime in the future I will take a Borg on as a trusted member of my crew? And that you are this Borg, who has traveled back in time to save the ship? That's quite the story you're telling."

Seven took a deep breath as she tried to get through to her. "Captain, when you took me from the Borg, you told me that part of being human is learning to trust. Please, trust me now. I would never do anything to harm you."

"I don't know what to think. I need some time to consider everything," Janeway said, after a long silence. "In the meantime, I'm going to keep you confined and away from the rest of the crew. No offense."

"No offense taken," Seven said. "I will comply with whatever restrictions you require. However, I cannot guarantee how much time I have left. My superiors will be working to reestablish contact and when they do, I'm certain they will beam me out of here. Plus, I still need to finish my mission."

"Well, then I suppose we must act fast. Come on, let's get you to my quarters," she said, wanting desperately to believe this woman.

Seven arched her eyebrow, giving her an odd look. "Your quarters?" In all the years she had known Captain Janeway, Seven had never been in her private quarters.

"It's the only place I can guarantee you won't be seen by any of the crew," the older woman explained. "I will have Tuvok escort you there until this battle is finished. Then you and I will talk." She opened the door and called out to Tuvok. "Escort our guest to my quarters and erect a level 10 force field until I return." She glanced at the blonde. "Again, no offense."

"Chakotay to the Captain."

"Go ahead," Janeway spoke into the com, her eyes locked on Seven.

"The remaining Kazon ships have retreated. The conflict appears to be over," he reported. "And no sign of Borg activity."

"Understood," she responded. "Chakotay?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"I'm going to retreat to my quarters. You have the Bridge. I wish not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency," she stated.

"Aye, Captain."

Kathryn turned to Tuvok. "I will take it from here. Get back to your station," she commanded.

Tuvok's eyes moved back and forth between to the women for a moment before he narrowed in on the Captain. He started to protest, but something in her eyes changed his mind. "Yes Captain."

Janeway and Seven walked silently to her quarters, taking a longer route than necessary to avoid being detected by the crew. As soon as the doors closed, Seven assumed a formal pose, standing with hands locked behind her back. "I regret that I was not more forthcoming with you the last time we met."

"Are you being truthful with me now?"

"Yes."

"I certainly hope so. I don't like being lied to. And I most certainly don't like being played for a fool," Janeway remarked dryly.

Seven frowned. "I acknowledge that I misled you, but I most certainly did not lie or play you for a fool, Captain."

"You better be right, for your sake." Kathryn sat down on the couch and motioned for the other woman to sit as well. "So can you tell me exactly why you're here?"

Seven continued to stand. "No. I am hopeful that the people who sent me here will get the temporal communication device online soon so I can complete my mission."

"In other words, they could just beam you out of here at any time," the Captain summarized a little crossly.

"Correct."

"You know, I'm quite familiar with the Temporal Prime Directive," Kathryn said with a forced sigh to let the other woman know how irritated she was with all this.

"Then you are aware that I've already violated it by telling you what I have said," Seven informed without any variation in her tone. Above all else, she did not want offend or alienate this woman any more than she already has.

"Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, you violated it two years ago when you and I…" she trailed off, closing her eyes as the heated memory began consume her. She inhaled sharply and instead she moved her hand back and forth between them. "In addition," She quickly changed the subject. "To violating the directive, you also contaminated the future timeline."

"I am aware of the potential ramifications of my actions," Seven replied honestly.

"So why did you do it? Why did you go to the party? And why dance with me?" Kathryn had often thought about the mysterious Anna Jameson and wondered about her. On more than one occasion she would dream about their dance, only in her dreams, the evening ended with them going back to her room and…She shook those images out of her head and was thankful that the Borg did not have telepathic abilities. She looked in Seven's eyes and waited for a response.

Seven felt a wave of dizziness wash over her as her vision started to blur. Squinting her eyes, she tried to ascertain which of the three visions of Captain Janeway was real.

"Are you all right?" Kathryn noticed the pained look in the other woman's eyes.

Seven blinked rapidly. "I appear to be damaged. I am experiencing nausea, dizziness, and double vision."

"I should get you to sickbay." For some reason, Janeway cared about this young woman. _Well, she is going to all this trouble to save me and my ship, and my crew so it's only natural that I'd care. It doesn't mean anything more than that. I'd do this for any number of aliens and other species who were sick. It's not just because I've thought about her every day for the past two years. Nope, I'd do this for anyone._

"I'm afraid that would be ineffective," Seven explained. "My ocular implant can detect disruptions in space-time better than any technology the Federation has, yet my human physiology has not adapted very well to these temporal jumps. I can assure you that there is nothing in the Doctor's database that will help. I will have to adapt."

"Time travel is making you sick?" Janeway asked. "Wait, you said jumps. How many times have you done this?"

"This is my fourth."

"Your fourth," Janeway repeated. "So, have you and I, um, have you interacted with me any of the other times?"

"No." She rubbed her fingers against her temple.

The older woman moved closer and on impulse actually touched the blonde's forehead. "You're in pain," she whispered, concern evident in her voice.

"I will adapt."

Kathryn sighed. "I should get you to Sickbay so you can at least rest."

Seven shook her head. "No, please don't do that. My presence here is already contaminating the timeline. We can't risk anyone else on the ship interacting with me."

"Okay then so why don't you sit down," she offered.

"I prefer to stand," Seven argued.

"Of course, you do, but I'm still the Captain of this ship so please sit down." Janeway ordered, but the tone of her voice was now softer as she motioned to the couch. Long streaks of light passed through the small window in Janeway's quarters as the distortion of the ship's warp field fell around the room, disturbing the view of stars, which offered the only light in the room. "Come on, in fact maybe you should just lie down on my bed." She chuckled at the look of panic on the other woman's face. "Don't worry; I'm more than happy to sleep on the couch tonight."

"No, I couldn't." Seven was horrified at the mere thought of putting her superior officer out in this manner. "The couch will be adequate for my regeneration needs."

"Your regeneration needs? Hmm, well, it may be adequate, but if you are indeed saving my life and the life of my crew, then the least I can do is offer you a comfortable place to rest. No arguments," she said, with a tiny smile. "Right now you are on my ship, so consider it Captain's orders."

"I will comply," Seven reluctantly agreed.

"Good. Now let's get you settled." Kathryn got her guest settled in her room before going back to do some research on the computer. She became more and more anxious and horrified by what she was finding out about the effects of time travel. Unable to rest, she stood at the doorway and watched the blonde sleep. _Well, when I dreamed about having her in my bed, this isn't exactly what I had in mind! _The memory of the dance they shared so long ago flashed before her eyes and she couldn't help but wonder why she was so drawn to this woman. They didn't know each other, not really, so why has Anna, or rather Seven, consumed so much of her thoughts for the last two years?

Her heightened visual senses allowed Seven the ability to detect the eyes that had been watching her for the past six minutes and thirteen seconds. "You're staring, Captain," Seven stated, her eyes still closed.

Kathryn smiled and shrugged as she stepped into the room. "You were snoring."

Seven's eyes shot open and she sat up with a frown. "Impossible. I do not snore."

Kathryn chuckled. "Relax, I was just teasing you."

Seven furrowed her brows in thought. "Teasing…to make fun of or provoke in a playful way. You're making fun of me?"

"No, I was just playing." Janeway pointed to the edge of the bed. "May I?" When Seven nodded, she sat at the side of the bed, leaving a respectful distance between herself and the other woman. "How are you feeling?"

"Adequate."

"Your symptoms?"

"Have terminated," Seven said promptly, and didn't elaborate any further.

Oddly, Janeway felt humor suddenly flicker inside her and hid a grin as she dipped her head. She cleared her throat as she scooted a little closer. "I did some research while you were sleeping. It seems that your time travels have some potentially dangerous side effects."

"Yes, I am aware. Sensory aphasia, temporal psychosis, or termination of my biological life-sustaining systems."

The detached and almost clinical tone of the other woman's voice, as if she was reading from a dictionary, was so incongruent with the seriousness of the situation that Janeway had to hold back her laughter. "It could kill you," Kathryn countered, trying to stay in command mode.

"Yes," Seven simply agreed.

Kathryn sighed again. "So why are you putting yourself at risk by doing this?

Seven looked the other woman in the eyes. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you…to anyone on Voyager."

"You and I are close, I take it?"

"Yes. I can honestly say you are the person I am closest to," Seven said, the truthfulness of that statement evident in her tone. "You have saved me on more than one occasion, and I would lay down my own life in order to reciprocate."

Kathryn was mesmerized by the emotion underlying the blonde's response. "I don't know what to say. I don't have the benefit of knowing what our relationship is like in the future. But I do know that I would not want you to put yourself in such danger for me. I can look for the weapon and destroy it. You don't have to keep doing this."

On impulse, Seven reached and out and took Kathryn's hand in her own. "I will complete my mission. And I will succeed. Failure is not an option. You have to trust me on that."

Kathryn stared down at their joined hands, as the memory of their dance and how close they were burned through her. "I want to believe you," she softly whispered. "I don't know want to miss out on knowing you in the future."

"Then believe that I can do this," Seven said with certainty, reaching out with her other hand and lifting the Captain's chin so she could once again look her in the eyes. "Failure is not an option," she repeated.

"I feel at such a disadvantage here. You know all of these things about me, yet I know very little about you." Kathryn's lips curved into a smile. "I know you can't tell me about the future, but I'd like to know more about you. Where did you get the name Seven of Nine?"

"From the Borg. To be precise, I'm Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. My human designation was Annika Hansen."

"Annika. It's a beautiful name."

"I prefer to be called Seven," the blonde said with indifference.

Kathryn let go of Seven's hand and shifted so she was sitting on the bed facing her guest. "So, can you at least tell me about Seven?"

"I can share what little I do know from my childhood. If you will reciprocate."

"That sounds fair," Janeway said with a smile.

For the next couple of hours they talked, Seven sharing what she knew of her childhood prior to being assimilated, and Kathryn talked about growing up in Indiana. Both women were careful to avoid talking about anything that would violate the Temporal Prime Directive. Somehow during their talk, Kathryn had moved to sit up beside Seven, her head resting back against the headboard as they laughed about how Kathryn used to torture her little sister.

"You miss your family," Seven observed.

"Very much so. What about you? Do you have family who are missing you? Parents? A husband, perhaps?"

Seven shook her head. "No, Voyager is my only family."

Kathryn reached out and took her hand once again, wanting so badly for that connection. Giving it a gentle squeeze, both women immediately flashed back to the night they danced and parted in a similar manner. The Captain's eyes moved from their joined hands to look into the other woman's eyes. "Seven, I…"

At that moment the temporal communication device beeped and Lieutenant Ducane's voice broke through and interrupted. "Relativity to Seven of Nine."

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Seven responded, her eyes locked on the Captain's.

"We're pulling you out. Stand by for transport."

"Understood."

"You're leaving," Kathryn said, her voice hitching. "Where will you go next?"

"That is uncertain. My superiors ascertain the most likely point in time to catch the saboteur," Seven answered as best she could.

"Are you sure you are feeling up to this? Perhaps you should tell them to wait until tomorrow so you can get some more rest."

"I assure you, I am physiologically capable of completing my assignment."

Kathryn looked down at their hands, still joined together. She gently ran her thumb over top of soft knuckles. "I think I'm going to miss you." Her voice was barely a whisper. She looked back up at the blonde. "When will I see you again?"

"We will meet again precisely in one year, three months, two days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes and six point five seconds," Seven said, "Oh Captain when you see me again I will look different, and when I say that you shouldn't trust me I will betray you…" Her pouty lips twisted up in a knowing grin as she stood up to prepare for transport. "Just ignore me." She winked playfully, and bowed her head toward her Captain. "Thank you for allowing me to regenerate in here, and trusting this former Borg drone." She narrowed in on the Captain's face; her expression made her heart ache with an undeniable need to comfort her, but she knew there was no time to do so.

"So, I guess this is goodbye," Kathryn said, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She looked up and locked eyes with the blonde. "Take care of yourself."

Seven nodded and gently dropped her hand. "Goodbye, Captain."

"Wait!" Janeway grabbed Seven's wrist and pulled her into a hug. "I don't want you to go." The blonde felt her heart skip feeling the smaller woman's arms around her, as she instinctively wrapped her arms around Janeway and held her close. She could feel the Captain's heart beating rapidly against her own and wanted nothing more than to stay with her. She pulled back and looked her in the eye. "I have to leave."

Kathryn wanted to demand that this woman stay. She wanted to order her not to leave Voyager. But she knew that all of that was out of her control and sighed in resignation. "I know. I just..."

For the first time in her life, Seven of Nine just acted totally on impulse and pulled the other woman into a kiss. Tentative at first, she quickly relaxed when she felt the Captain returning the kiss. Kathryn was all soft lips and tasted so sweet and sent a jolt of through her that she felt from her cortical node all the way down to her toes. Her brain staggered from all of the sensations coursing through her…the feel of soft lips on hers, the faint smell of perfume, and the way this woman's skin felt under her fingers, and she briefly wondered if her nanoprobes would short circuit. A voice in the back of her head warned her that she shouldn't do this… that there she was contaminating the future timeline. She pushed that thought away and kissed Kathryn with a ferocity and urgency she had never felt before, and somehow knew that this maybe the only time she would get to do this.

Kathryn was shocked but quickly gave into the kiss, every cell in her body coming alive with arousal as she surrendered herself to the blonde's lips, teeth and tongue. It was too much; it was not enough. She wanted more. Her hands that were tangled in Seven's hair moved up and down her back, trying to pull her even closer. She felt another shock of electricity and then a flash of light appeared, and just like that, Seven of Nine had vanished, leaving the Captain all alone in her room. Feeling lightheaded, she fell down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling as she tried to catch her breath. Fingers ran across swollen lips, the only empirical evidence she had that this had not been a dream, and a huge sense of loss swept over her. _One year until she would even see her again, well, one year, three months, two days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes and six point five seconds to be precise. In her heart, it felt like an eternity._


	3. Chapter 3

**Relativity (500 years in the future)**

Seven immediately knew that something was wrong the moment she materialized back on Relativity. She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words came out, she slumped to the floor.

Ducane rushed over and placed his fingers on her neck. Not finding a pulse, he looked up at Braxton. "She's dead. I told you this was going to happen."

Braxton seemed nonplussed. "We'll have to recruit her again."

Ducane's eyes widened. "Sir, with all due respect, another jump? I don't think she would survive."

"Unless we fix the timeline, she's going to die anyway. We're giving her a chance to save her crew and herself. We'll go back and retrieve Seven of Nine again. And figure this out before the ship explodes. Tempus fugit, Lieutenant," Braxton said.

Ducane sighed and turned to the pilot. "Raise shields. Time frame stardate 52861.274. Delta Quadrant. Spatial coordinates 87 theta by 271. Target USS Voyager."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

**Voyager (Current Timeline)**

Captain Janeway's eyes flew open and she was panting hard as she stared at the ceiling. Once again, a certain blonde ex-Borg had been in her dreams. Her dreams were becoming more and more vivid; if she didn't know any better she would think that she had really been kissing her Chief Astrometrics Officer. Her fingers hovered over her lips, which longed desperately to feel the pressure of Seven's mouth moving against hers. Her other hand was clenched to her heart, as she recalled the pain when she lost Seven in her dream. _But was it was a dream? It felt so real! She gasped. It can't be a dream…can it?_ Deciding there was only one way to find out, she hurried and got dressed, downing a cup of coffee before setting out to find Seven of Nine.

"Good morning, Captain," Harry greeted her.

"Have you seen Seven?" Kathryn was so intent on finding the blonde that she didn't even acknowledge his greeting.

"I think she's on the Bridge."

"Thanks," she muttered, taking off in that direction.

"That was weird," he said to himself.

Captain Janeway was disappointed when she got to the Bridge only to find no sign of the former Borg.

"Good morning, Kathryn," Chakotay smiled at her.

"Commander," she greeted. "Report." _Duty calls; I guess Seven will have to wait._

"It was an uneventful overnight. No issues or problems to report."

"Good." Janeway looked around the Bridge once more to see if her Chief Astrometrics officer had appeared yet. "Have you seen Seven?"

"She went to Engineering," Chakotay noted dryly.

"I need to speak to her; you have the bridge." She turned on her heel and headed towards Engineering, trying to figure out a way to talk to Seven without revealing too much. Just as she reached her destination, Tom Paris walked out, nearly knocking her over.

"Captain! Are you alright?" Tom placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her, an apologetic look on his face.

"Yes," she briskly replied. "I'm looking for Seven. Is she in there?"

The pilot shook his head. "Haven't seen her. Maybe she…" he trailed off as Janeway abruptly turned and walked away. "Huh," he shrugged, and headed towards the Bridge to report for duty.

"Good morning, Captain!" Neelix greeted her. "Do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you about some morale boosting ideas I have."

"Not now," she said curtly. "Have you seen Seven?"

"No I haven't. Have you looked in Cargo Bay 2 or Astrometrics lab?"

"No, but I will," she grunted out, irritated with herself for not considering the two most likely places to look. "And Neelix ,if you see her tell her I'm looking for her," she commanded rather sharply, but kept her brisk pace in search of the former Borg.

"So, can we meet soon?" Neelix asked loudly to his retreating captain.

"Yeah. Sure," Janeway called over her shoulder.

Seven emerged from her alcove with a frown, feeling quite unsettled by the dream she had the night before while regenerating. While she would occasionally visit the Holodeck to act out various fantasy situations, she was not accustomed to dreaming. _Borg do not dream. It is inefficient and has no productive value. So, was it a dream or something else? A memory perhaps? _She shook her head, her confusion growing._ It can't be a memory if it never happened. _She didn't know what to make of this, but was determined to figure it out. And since she couldn't talk to the Captain, for obvious reasons, she decided to go find the only other person she trusted to help her with this dilemma and headed towards Sickbay.

"Hey, Seven," Tom greeted her. "I think the Captain is looking for you."

"Thank you," she replied. _Hmm, maybe I should ask Tom about it? _She paused and started to speak, and then thought better of it and continued on without another word.

Turning the corner, she was greeted by Harry Kim. "Good morning, Seven," he smiled at her. "How are you?"

"Busy," she replied brusquely, and continued walking.

"Nice talking to you too," he muttered under his breath.

"Good morning, Seven!" Neelix called out with his trademark enthusiasm.

"If you say so," she said, without stopping.

"Oh, I ran into the Captain earlier; did she find you?"

Seven ignored him and turned the corner, intent on finding the Doctor.

"I guess someone woke up on the wrong side of the alcove," he muttered to himself.

Finally arriving at Sickbay, she saw the room was empty.

"Computer, locate EMH."

"EMH inactive."

"Activate him," she commanded.

The Doctor appeared in front of her. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"My cortical implant is malfunctioning," she stated, irritation lacing her voice.

"Oh?" He reached for his Tricorder and began scanning the blonde. "How so?" He listened intently as Seven described what had happened, leaving out the part about it being the Captain who she was kissing.

"Congratulations. You had your first dream."

Seven frowned. "But I felt awake."

"Dreams can often feel very real. Tell me more about the dream. You said you were kissing someone?"

Seven shook her head. "It didn't just feel real, it felt familiar. More like a memory than a dream."

"Perhaps your unconscious mind was acting out some hidden desires. Tell me, Seven, have you wanted to kiss this person before?"

"I am uncertain. Perhaps?"

"This is fascinating. There all kinds of possible hidden meanings in dreams. I can't wait to explore them." The Doctor practically bounced on his heels with excitement.

"I do not want you to explore them. I want you to make them stop," Seven barked. "I do not wish to dream again. Please repair it so I can go back to work."

The Doctor put a caring hand on her shoulder. "It's not a malfunction, Seven, it's a natural step in your human development. It might seem unsettling for you now, but before you know it you'll be looking forward to climbing in your alcove at night," he soothed, and then handed her a small object. "Here take this. It will keep a record of your REM sleep and allow me to see what is going on in your cortical implant. If there is a malfunction, this will detect it."

"Okay," she agreed skeptically.

Seven left Sickbay and went to the Astrometrics Lab. She looked over her shoulder when she heard the doors open. "Naomi Wildman. State your purpose."

Naomi's eyes narrowed in on her as she noticed the slightly pale face of the former Borg. "Are you sick?"

"I don't get sick," Seven scoffed.

"You don't look good," Naomi observed. "Maybe you should go see the Doctor."

"I just came from there. I'm fine." She gave the little girl a stern gaze. "Have you assimilated the astronomical charts I gave you to read? I will test your recall of them this afternoon.

"But you just gave me that last night," Naomi protested.

"That's adequate time for you to prepare."

"But Seven," the girl whined. "It's 827 pages!"

"Which I committed to memory in 35 seconds," Seven countered with a firm tone.

"That's not fair! You're…well, you're you." She knew from the hard glare being leveled at her that resistance was futile. "Fine," Naomi huffed. "I will comply." She blew out a frustrated breath and turned to head back to her room. "I wish I had a cortical node," she muttered under her breath.

Seven's acute sensory receptors allowed her to hear Naomi grumbling and she couldn't help but smile at the way the young girl stomped off with her shoulders slumped. She waited until she was out of sight and then turned her attention back to her work. Unable to concentrate, she decided to go up to Deck Four and find something to do where she was unlikely to have an awkward encounter with the Captain.

Meanwhile, Janeway had come up empty at the Cargo Bay and was walking to Astrometrics when she saw Naomi walking toward her with her head down. "What's wrong with the future Starfleet Captain?"

"Seven's making me study," the girl complained, then thought better of it. After all she didn't want to look bad in front of the Captain. _Future Starfleet captains do not whine_, she reminded herself.

"You've seen Seven? Is she in her lab?"

"Yes, but I think she's sick. She didn't look like she was feeling well," Naomi reported.

Janeway felt immediate concern. She couldn't recall the former Borg ever being sick before. "Tell you what; I'll go check on her, and if she's sick, I'll make sure she gets taken care of."

"Thanks," Naomi smiled at her, and then continued back to her room to study.

Janeway frowned when she did not find her in Astrometrics. _This is ridiculous_. All of a sudden, she slapped herself in the forehead. _Why didn't I think of this earlier_? "Computer, locate Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine is in the turbo lift," the computer reported.

"Where's she going?" Janeway asked herself. She started towards the turbo lift when she heard the call. "Chakotay to the Captain. We need you on the Bridge right away."

"On my way." She could tell from the tone of his voice that it was urgent, so she hurried to the Bridge. "Report," she ordered, as soon as she walked through the doors.

"Harry picked up some unusual readings. It appears we have a temporal distortion on the ship. And it seems to be expanding." The Commander pointed to the console.

"Locate the source."

"There's something on Deck 4," Tuvok informed her. "Junction beta twenty eight."

"Beam it off the ship," Janeway directed.

"I can't get a lock," Tuvok replied.

"Captain, I'm picking up another strange reading on Deck 4," Harry interjected.

"What kind of reading?"

"It's a chronoton flux, point zero zero three."

"What's that mean?" Tuvok frowned.

"Dry dock," Janeway said, almost in a whisper.

"Captain?" Kim asked, confused.

"The first time I saw these readings was five years ago when Voyager was still in dry dock. Same readings, same location."

"What caused them?"

"I never found out," Janeway answered.

"We'll have to find out later," Tuvok reported. "We're being fired upon."

"All hands on deck," she ordered.

Seven was heading to Deck Four and was rushing to escape when she ran into Ducane and another officer she did not recognize. "Identify yourselves," she bit out at them.

"No time," Ducane answered, as he placed a device on her arm and beamed them off the ship.

**Relativity (500 years into the future)**

"Welcome back," Braxton greeted the former Borg as she materialized onto his ship.

Seven glared at him suspiciously. "Why have you brought me here?"

He sighed. "You know, for some reason I always think you'll remember. I'm Captain Braxton and this is Lieutenant Ducane. You're aboard the Federation Time Ship Relativity."

Seven arched an eyebrow. "I'm no longer in the 24th century?"

"No, for you it's almost 500 years later," Ducane explained. He motioned toward a seat. "Why don't you sit down and we'll fill you in."

Seven listened to them explain the mission and the previous times she had traveled through time to save Voyager's crew. Her mind inevitably went back to the dream from the night before. _Could it be an actual memory from these time travels?_ She shook her head and focused her attention back on the two men talking to her. First and foremost, she would complete her mission. Anything else was irrelevant.

"You'll be going back during the time you were first on Voyager as a drone. It is imperative that you get in, find the saboteur, and get out before you are detected by the Borg."

"Understood."

Braxton stood up. "Lieutenant Ducane will get you ready. There's just one more thing. Watch out for the Janeway Factor."

"I am not familiar with that protocol," she responded matter of factly.

"Let's just say your Captain has a knack for sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong, especially when it comes to time travel," Braxton said, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"Has it occurred to you that she might be helpful?"

"Helpful?" Braxton snorted. "That woman has single-handedly been responsible for three major temporal incursions. She's already come close to interfering with this mission."

"Have I encountered the Captain on previous missions?" Seven asked, involuntarily holding her breath while waiting for an answer.

Braxton didn't answer directly, but nodded towards Ducane. "He'll fill you in. We'll consolidate your memories from previous trips so you can function at maximum efficiency." He paused and looked the blonde in eyes. "Stay away from Janeway. That's an order."

"Yes, Sir," Seven agreed, standing up to follow Ducane.

An hour later, Ducane took her to the Transporter to send her out. "You ready?"

"Yes." She touched where her eye implant used to be as all the memories came flooding in. _It wasn't a dream_.

"Raise shields. Time frame stardate 49123.5621. Delta Quadrant. Spatial coordinates 21 alpha prime by 936 theta. Target USS Voyager," he ordered, and watched as she disappeared. "Tempus fugit," he said to the empty space where she had just been moments before.

_Voyager (Immediately after Seven was severed from the Collective)_

Seven materialized in the familiar hallways of Voyager and efficiently went about trying to find Kathryn. Orders be damned, as soon as she had her memories of the last previous journeys back in time, she knew she had to find the Captain. In spite of what Braxton had said, they had a better chance of finding both the weapon and the saboteur if they worked together. Besides, there was that whole matter of the kiss. _Focus on your mission! But that kiss!_ She shook her head to get those thoughts out of her head. "I am Borg. I will not be distracted by a kiss." She squared her shoulders and headed toward the Jefferies tube on Deck Four. _First take care of the weapon, then find the Captain._

She efficiently made her way through the hallways without being detected. She was hiding in a hallway when she heard a familiar voice. It was the Captain…Kathryn, but she wasn't alone. She was talking to Commander Chakotay and thanks to her enhanced sensory ability, Seven could hear their conversation clear as day.

"You can't seriously be thinking about keeping that drone on Voyager!" Chakotay shook his head in disbelief. "It's not safe!"

The Captain's voice was patient as she deliberately kept her tone low and soothing. "That drone was a human being. We've severed her from the Collective; she deserves this chance to become one of us."

"She will never be one of us!" Chakotay roared, running a hand through his dark hair. "What if she wakes up and reaches out to the Borg and we all get assimilated? Are you willing to take that risk?"

Seven drew in a sharp breath. It was one thing to know that most of the crew were uncomfortable with her presence on Voyager, it was quite another to witness their protests firsthand.

"I'm not going to just hand over the Bridge to her, Commander. I don't anticipate it will be an easy transition for her, but I am willing to give her this chance." Kathryn paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "And I expect my second in command to back me up on this, at least to the crew."

Chakotay shook his head. "I think you're making a huge mistake."

"Well, then it's mine to make, now isn't it?" she asked rhetorically.

"Doctor to the Captain."

"Janeway here," she answered into the comm.

"You're needed in Sickbay."

"On my way," She nodded at the Commander. "Come on, let's go introduce ourselves to our guest."

Seven decided that was her cue to hurry to Deck Four and find the saboteur. After that was taken care of, she would find the Captain.

Arriving in Sickbay, Janeway stared down at the sleeping Borg, looking for any sign of Seven, but finding none. "So how is the newest member of our family?"

"At the moment she's stable, but the prognosis isn't clear," the Doctor explained. "There's a battle being waged inside her body between the physiological and the technological."

Janeway nodded, and she was about to give the order to wake her up when she heard Harry's voice on the comm. "Bridge to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here," she answered, her eyes still on the sleeping form.

"I'm getting a strange reading coming from Deck Four."

She frowned. "What kind of reading?"

"It's a chronoton flux, point zero zero three."

_Seven!_ She looked down at the Borg. "I'm sure it's nothing, but I will go check it out," she informed. "Seven?" Janeway whispered to herself.

"Seven?" He looked at his Captain quizzically. "What about Seven of Nine?"

"What? Um, I…" She cleared her throat and just looked past him toward the Doctor. "Tell me immediately when she wakes up."

Kathryn then turned to back to her First Officer and smiled, trying to ignore the accelerated heartbeat in her chest. "I'll go check it out; I've been wanting to get my hands dirty, anyway." She glanced back down at the Borg and then quickly went to Deck Four.

The closer she got to her destination, the faster her pulse raced. Immediately upon arriving, she opened the door to the Jefferies tube, her smile growing. "I was hoping it was you."

Startled, Seven turned, one hand placed over her chest. "You startled me!" Deep down, she was excited to the other woman's face and couldn't help the huge smile that broke out on her face.

"Did I now? But I thought you were the big bad Borg who wasn't afraid of anything," Janeway teased. "Nice to see you again; what's it been? Two years?"

"Actually, it's only been three hours, twelve minutes, and thirty five seconds." Seven did some quick calculations in her head. "Although in your timeline, it has been one year, three months, two days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes, and six point five seconds."

"But who's counting?" The Captain's face sobered when she remembered why the other woman was here. "Any luck finding who wants to blow up my ship?"

"Not yet. But we have good reason to believe that whoever it is will be planting the weapon soon," Seven informed. "I need to catch the saboteur before the weapon is planted."

"I see. So does that mean you're going to stick around for awhile?"

"I am uncertain how long I will be here. I probably should let Relativity know I didn't find anything. But I think I can wait a few more minutes."

"Well, then let's get you someplace where you won't be seen by the crew," Janeway said, taking her hand. "Come on; you can stay in my quarters for now."

"Captain, I…"

Janeway silenced her by putting a finger over her lips. "Let's talk about this in private," she said, removing her finger when Seven nodded and then beamed them both to her quarters. _I can't let anything happen again. I'm the Captain. She's about to become part of my crew. Besides, it was just a kiss_. She glanced at the woman beside her, her eyes automatically dropping down to her lips. _Well, it was an amazing kiss. She mentally slapped herself. Focus, Katie!_

"Would you like me to replicate you some coffee?" She walked over to get herself a cup.

"I do not drink that beverage."

"Why not? It keeps you sharp."

"My cortical implant does the same thing."

"Very well," Kathryn said, as she walked over and sat down on the couch, motioning for the other woman to do the same. "Sit down; make yourself comfortable."

"I prefer to stand," Seven said, but nevertheless walked over to sit beside her.

"I can't believe you're really here," Janeway said, as she reached out and took the blonde's hand in her own.

Seven looked down at their joined hands and then back up at the Captain. "Yes, well, about that."

"What is it?" Kathryn looked down at their joined hands. _Okay, that's not helping!_ She gently pulled her hand away and wrapped it around her mug as she looked expectantly at her companion.

"I'm not really me," Seven tried to explain.

"You're not really you," she repeated slowly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, what I mean is, I'm me, but I'm not the same me that was here the last time," she paused, frustrated at how inefficiently she was communicating. "Well, I am, but I'm not."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you," Janeway said, her brows scrunched in puzzlement.

Seven looked her in the eyes. "I was recruited to come here from the future."

"Yes," she drawled out. "I know that. You told me that the last time." She paused, really studying the other woman. "Anna, I mean Seven are you alright?"

"You see, that's what I'm talking about," Seven stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the couch. "The person you know as Anna, as me, well, she died when she was beamed back to Relativity."

Kathryn's head was spinning. "Died? But you…you're…" she waved her hand in front of the former Borg.

"After I, she," she shook her head. Not even her technologically enhanced Borg cortical node could make sense of this. "I was taken off Voyager a few hours ago to come back and find the saboteur," she explained rather weakly for being Borg.

Kathryn felt her heart sink inside her chest. "Oh, I see. So you and I," she moved a finger back and forth between them. "That wasn't you." Although she felt relieved that she didn't need to have that awkward conversation, at the same time she felt disappointed as well.

Seven moved to sit back down beside her. "In a way, it was me."

"What on earth does that mean?"

"It means, that temporal incursions are complex and confusing phenomenon," she answered.

"Yes, well, I'm not too fond of them myself," Kathryn agreed. "They have a way of messing with your head."

"I concur."

"So what happens now? I'm assuming you'll be going to another time frame to catch the saboteur?"

"Yes. But I have some time before I have to go," Seven informed her. Although it would be more efficient to transport back to Relativity and continue her mission, she was much more interested in getting to kiss this woman.

"Good, that will give us time to talk."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I think we should talk about what happened the last time you were here," Kathryn said, trying to shove down her desire to kiss the blonde again or for the first time. _Oh get a grip._

Seven studied her for a moment. "You mean when you kissed me… the other me," she said evenly. _God this is so confusing!_

"No, I meant when you kissed me," Kathryn corrected her. "It doesn't matter. We can't, I can't…" She blew out a breath. "It was one thing when you were someone I didn't know, but now you're on my ship." Her eyes pleaded with the blonde to understand. "I'm a Starfleet Captain. I just…I can't."

Seven sighed heavily. "Very well; how do you wish to proceed with this?"

"We don't proceed. This can't happen," Kathryn swallowed down the emotion threatening to build in her throat. She eyed the other woman curiously. "You do understand why this cannot…will not… happen again, don't you?"

The blonde studied her closely for a long moment. A faint line appeared on her forehead. Finally she shook her head. "I do not ... I honestly just do not understand, but I will respect your wishes," she sighed heavily, with disappointment in her tone. "May I ask you a question, Captain?"

Janeway nodded. "Go ahead."

Seven's eyes narrowed slightly as she stepped closer to the smaller woman, and even lowered her head, causing Kathryn's firm mask to slightly flinch, half expecting Seven to kiss her regardless.

Janeway stood her ground, but secretly bit her lip. "What are you doing?" That came out more strangled and breathless then Voyager's Captain wanted, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Seven, what…"

Seven didn't allow her to finish. "Did you enjoy kissing me?" The blonde watched the Captain's face intently as she answered.

"It was…" she paused, averting her eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "No, not really," she lied.

Seven's face hardened. "You're lying to me."

Kathryn was sure that her heart was going to explode at any moment. Really, it had no other option. Having this woman so close, close enough to drink her in, sent her blood rushing in so many areas that she usually kept suppressed. "Oh?" She managed to ask in a very composed tone, and mentally thanked her Starfleet training for being able to do it with ease. "How do you know?" She began, and then mentally winced from messing up just as quick. "I mean, what makes you think that?"

"I noticed the shift in your autonomic arousal. Your heart rate accelerated, the sweat that's now beaded on your forehead, and your respiration increased. In fact I believe you very much enjoyed kissing me, but you are so determined to follow your Starfleet protocol that you would rather deceive me than admit that you liked it." Seven moved slightly closer, and did it with such little ease that she didn't think that the Captain even noticed. "Do you want to know what else I think?" She smirked inwardly when Kathryn looked down at her lips and then back up to her eyes.

Seven reached out and placed her hand on Janeway's chest, just above her rapidly beating heart. Just that simple touch told the former Borg she was indeed right as it made Kathryn's breath hitch and she noticed her pupils dilate and retract, and immediately her cheeks flushed as her body temperature spiked a few degrees.

"What?" Kathryn answered breathlessly.

Seven's lips slightly curled. "You really do want to kiss me again."

"You seem awfully sure of yourself," Kathryn commented dryly, taking a step back, anxious to put some distance between them.

"Am I wrong, Captain?"

"Yes." But Seven quickly picked up the distress in Janeway's voice.

"So you didn't like kissing me?" Seven asked, her eyes still fixed on the Captain's, yet there was a tinge of unwelcoming rejection in her voice.

"I'm not doing this with you," Kathryn said, refusing to avert her eyes from the blonde's.

Seven studied her closely. "Why not?" she asked flatly.

"Because this conversation is pointless."

"Is it? Because if that were true, then why is your body telling me different."

"Seven," Janeway groaned. "That is not fair to read me like that."

Seven only raised an eyebrow. "You, yourself have told me on more than one occasion that life isn't fair."

"I have?" Janeway blinked a little in surprise. Seven only cocked her head to the side and gave the Captain an odd look. "Oh right," she sighed. "Time travel."

"So in order to be fair I say prove it," Seven challenged, not letting the subject to change. Ever since she learned that the kiss with the Captain was real and not a dream, she wanted to feel those lips against her own in a most unnerving way.

"I don't have to prove anything!"

"I've never known you to be a liar or a coward."

"I am not either of those!" Kathryn barked, shaking her head at the ridiculous accusation. "I've been called a lot of things in my life, but nobody has ever called me a liar or a coward!"

"Then allow me to be the first," Seven retorted. "You, Captain, are a liar and a coward!"

Kathryn felt the anger coursing throughout her body. "I am not! How dare you?"

"You most certainly are," Seven challenged.

"Take that back!" Janeway demanded, not caring at all how childish she sounded. "You have no right."

Closing the gap that Kathryn between them, the former Borg was now nose to nose with the Captain. "I will not comply."

"You are so…so…" Kathryn sputtered, much to the blonde's amusement.

"So…?" Seven asked, fascinated with seeing this woman so flustered.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Kathryn almost whined, her eyes pleading with Seven.

"What am I doing to you, Kathryn?"

"You know exactly what you are doing!" Janeway said, her voice now an octave louder as she glared at the blonde. "And address me as Captain."

Seven half shrugged. "The way I see it, Captain, this is about your fear. We don't know when I will have to leave again and we are wasting valuable time by ….." She trailed off and Kathryn could have sworn she saw a glimmer of playfulness in the ex-Borg's eyes. "By what you called a pointless conversation."

Startled, Janeway opened her mouth, hesitated, and then finally just stared. "I am not afraid," she protested, but it was weak at best.

"Yes," Seven stated without any doubt in her tone. "You are."

Janeway cringed internally knowing that somewhere she had lost control in this, but couldn't figure out when or how to take back the upper hand, maybe because she never really had it. "Oh, please….what makes you think that?" she asked, waving it off and trying to sound amused, but knew deep down it was clear as day she was just nervous.

"Because of how you are acting."

Janeway was getting furious and didn't like how this woman from the future could easily read her. _Oh just admit Katie, you want to wipe that smirk right off her face. I'm not afraid, after all, I just took on the Borg and Species 8472_. So on impulse Captain Janeway suddenly reached out, grasped Seven's shoulders and crushed her lips to the full lips she had been dying to kiss since she tasted them the first time.

Startled by the deep moan that slipped from her throat she drew back from the kiss. "Seven," she breathed, disappointed at how husky her voice was and how quickly her insides had just turned to liquid. "That was entirely inappropriate, I'm... sorry." But she made no attempt to look away or to remove her arms that were still snuggly around the blonde's back.

"Please, never be sorry for that," Seven told her earnestly. "And now I know I was right." She gave the Captain a tender smile before she reclaimed her lips.

"Sickbay to the Captain."

Out of breath, Janeway managed to free herself. "Go ahead," she managed shakily.

"Um Captain are you all right?" The Doctor's voice was full of concern.

Janeway swallowed hard, and stood straighter, refusing to look at the woman next to her. "I'm fine," she relayed. "What is it?"

"It's our guest; I think you should come down here."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll be on my way."

"Very well Captain."

"Take it easy on me." Seven teased, humor coloring the tone of her statement.

"Seven, we shouldn't talk about that…."

"Yes you're right. We should not engage in pointless conversations about the past. In fact, I believe there is a much better way to indulge in the time we do have, which is now forty six minutes and thirteen point eight seconds.

"I really hate when you do that."

"Oh?" Seven only took Janeway's hand in her own and raised it to her lips to press a kiss to it. "Do you want me to stop?"

"I wasn't referring to that, I meant…." Her voice was strangled and she now suddenly understood what Seven was doing. "I meant…" She retracted her hand softly from the blonde's gentle grip and pointed it at her. "Oh you're good."

"Why thank you, Captain." Seven said, feeling a little more confident. "Even though I do have to admit I have never done any of this before."

Janeway's brow furrowed somewhat. "You mean you've never?"

"I have the memories of many reproductive practices of thousands of species I assimilated when I was part of the Collective," Seven responded immediately, then hesitated, adding honestly. "But I have no personal experience; only a memory of the time we danced, intimately I might add, and then later when we kissed."

"Are you saying you've never dated? Been in love?"

"That is correct," Seven answered. "Just with you."

"Wait, what are you…nevermind," Janeway interrupted.

Seven hesitated for a moment. "Well, actually, the Doctor recently helped me experience my first date."

"Oh?" The squeak in her voice derailed the older woman's attempt to sound casual. _I wonder who she dated? Harry? No, I don't think that would be a good fit. Chakotay? _She almost laughed at the mere idea. _Oh hell no. The Doctor_? "And…um," she cleared her throat. "How did that go?"

"It was awkward and uncomfortable," Seven admitted. Although she picked up on Kathryn's jealousy, she chose not to acknowledge it, at least not yet, anyway.

Kathryn shook her head, still unable to wrap her head around the fact that this beautiful, intelligent woman was so inexperienced in her love life. _Love life? Where in the world did that come from? "_You should go on more dates," she encouraged with a soft smile. "I'm sure you have more than your fair share of men or women who would jump at the chance to date you."

"You are correct. There have been several members of the crew who have expressed an interest in copulating with me," Seven agreed, eyeing her carefully, with a little mischief in her blue eyes. "But I don't want any of them."

"I…"Janeway swallowed tightly feeling a little dizzy from the way the blonde was staring at her.

The Doctor's voice interrupted again. "Captain, our guest is awake and she is quite unhappy."

She sighed heavily. "Will you be here when I get back?"

"I am uncertain," Seven answered honestly. Without waiting for a reply she moved both hands up to cup the older woman's cheeks as she pulled her in for another lingering kiss. "You should go," she whispered.

"Yes," Kathryn rasped, her voice thick with arousal. She blew out a long breath, and then began the walk to Sickbay, slipping back into Captain mode. She acknowledged the Doctor and Tuvok. "So, how's the newest addition to our family?" Her eyes fixed on the sleeping drone and found it hard to believe that this was the same woman who had just kissed her senseless back in her quarters.

**USS Voyager (current timeline)**

Janeway's eyes widened as she ghosted her fingers across her lips. She must have dozed off because she had just had the most vivid dream about a certain ex-Borg. It was so vivid that she would swear it was not a dream, but rather a memory. _But that was impossible. Wasn't it?_

"Computer, locate Seven of Nine," she commanded.

"Unable to comply. Seven of Nine cannot be located."

Janeway frowned. _Can't be located? Where is she?_ "Computer, locate of Seven of Nine," she repeated.

"Seven of Nine is no longer on Voyager."

The Captain felt a sense of dread threaten to overwhelm her. "Janeway to Chakotay," she spoke into her badge.

"Yes, Captain."

"We have a situation, Seven is missing. Put the ship on red alert and scan for any anomalies or ships in the vicinity," she demanded, a tinge of fear sharpening the edge of her voice, forcing her to make an unwavering effort to stay calm. "Where are you, Seven?"


	4. Somewhere Between Tune and Space

**USS Voyager (Dark Frontier)**

Captain Janeway's lips curved into a smile as she entered Cargo Bay 2. "I see you've picked up some bad habits," she commented to the blonde.

"Captain?"

"The Doctor told you to regenerate for at least two days," she said, walking closer to the other woman. "You're violating a direct medical command."

"I will comply when my work is completed," Seven remarked, turning her attention back to the monitor in front of her.

Janeway looked to see what she was working on. "Borg tactical data?"

"During my time at Unimatrix One I acquired a vast amount of knowledge. It may prove useful in our future encounters with the Borg. I am downloading it into Voyager's database. The Borg believed that I was unique, that I understood humanity." She looked over into the older woman's eyes, with a forlorn expression. "They were mistaken."

"How so?"

Seven averted her eyes back to the monitor. "I betrayed the crew of Voyager, threatened you with assimilation," she swallowed. "I did not expect you to return for me."

Janeway felt her chest ache with the desire to put her arms around this woman and just hold her, but she had to remind herself for the millionth time since Seven joined the ship that this was not her Seven, the Seven from the future. _The Seven who can kiss like_…she shook her head. _Now is not the time for that, Katie_, she admonished herself and then cleared her throat. "Looks like you still have a few things to learn." She gave the other woman a stern look.

"When I am finished."

"No, now. That's an order," she said firmly.

Seven looked up and nodded. "Yes, Captain." She quickly moved to her alcove and stepped in, closing her eyes.

Janeway watched her for a few moments and allowed herself to take off her Captain's mask as her eyes drank in the former Borg's beauty. Stop it, Katie. Just stop it. This is just wrong in so many ways. She's regenerating…quit being a perv. She sucked in a deep breath and allowed herself one final, lingering look. Her lips curved into a soft smile. "Sweet dreams," she said wistfully and turned to leave the Cargo Bay, anxious to get back to her quarters and wanting nothing more than to put this day behind her. It had been quite the emotional roller coaster, and she had been devastated when it had appeared that Seven had chosen the Collective over Voyager. It took her a few minutes to remind herself that Seven wouldn't do that. If she had rejoined the Collective, then she wouldn't have come back from the future to save Voyager. I can't believe I even thought she would do that. I should have known better. Once she knew what was going on, she did not hesitate to lead the mission to rescue her Chief Astrometrics Officer from the Borg Queen. The thought that she might never see this woman again terrified her, and even though her relationship with Seven of Nine was purely friendship between professionals, she couldn't let anything happen to her. _Besides, I'm the Captain; I'd have done the same thing for any of my crew, right? Right? Yeah, you keep telling yourself that._

Opening the door, she flinched in shock when she saw Seven of Nine standing right in front of her, and she felt the breath literally leave her body. "Seven!" she yelped in surprise, placing a hand over her heart. She cleared her throat. "I mean, um, hello there," she greeted, trying her best to sound as normal as possible. She frowned as she turned to look over at the Seven of Nine regenerating in the alcove and then back at the woman in front of her. "We've got to figure out something else to call you. This is getting too confusing."

Seven arched an eyebrow. "What would you like to call me?" The purr in her voice sent a quiver down the other woman's spine. "You can call me anything you like Kathryn."

_Oh I could think of a few things_. This was getting to be too complicated. Two Sevens, both of whom she had come to care for very deeply, yet she could not be with either of them. Kathryn sighed. She had to put a stop to this. "How about you catch the person trying to blow up my ship and then it won't be an issue anymore?" Her voice grated.

Seven's eyes widened a little in surprise at the abrupt tone in the Captain's voice. "That's why I'm here," she answered. "I thought you might like to help me search."

Kathryn was torn. As much as she wanted to catch whoever dared to plant the weapon to blow up Voyager, she knew that she was pushing the limits of how much she could take being around this woman. Unlike the other Seven of Nine, this one was much more willing and ready to cross lines that could permanently alter her relationship with this former Borg currently on her ship…not to mention the sexy husky voice that is sooooooo not like the other Seven. _And that look she is giving me? Oh my God. I wonder how long in the future it takes for her to get that….oh it doesn't matter anyway. I can't…we can't_. As much as she might be tempted, Kathryn knew it was something she could not do. "I can't do that," she regretted softly.

"Explain," Seven commanded, clearly not expecting that answer.

Kathryn groaned. "I just…I can't. I'm sorry, but you're on your own."

"I don't understand," Seven persisted.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But you should do what you came here to do and get back to your timeline. I am going to my quarters to rest. Good luck with your search." Without waiting for the blonde to reply, she quickly left, anxious to put as much distance between them as possible. After informing her first officer and ordering him to take charge of the Bridge, she took a long, hot bath and then settled in on the couch with a whiskey soda, trying in vain to not think about Seven of Nine. Either one of them. Or sexy voices, seductive looks, full pouty lips that taste oh so good. "Oh God," she groaned, laying back on the couch and placing a hand over her eyes. She felt herself getting aroused just thinking about what she knows those lips can do…and what she would like those lips to do.

"Oh, God," she groaned, even though it sounded more like a moan as her hand started making its way down to the throbbing ache between her legs. "I am so bad," she whispered. "But I'm in a very bad way here." _But really, how long had it been since Mark? _A woman has needs, and she's only human after all. And if she was being honest, she had wanted Anna or Seven or whoever the hell she was that night they danced. Kathryn blew out a very long breath and brought both hands up to cover her face. Between facing down Borg Queens and time travel make out sessions, she was certain that Seven of Nine would surely be the death of her.

She felt a pang of guilt wash over her. _I should be helping her. I'm the Captain; it's my responsibility._ She got up and changed back into her Starfleet uniform, taking time to check her appearance in the mirror. She felt like a nervous teenager and chided herself for getting so excited at the prospect of seeing Seven again. She took one more glance in the mirror, and jumped as Seven beamed into her quarters and was now standing behind her with hands behind her back.

"Something wrong with the door?" She hissed, locking eyes with the blonde, who was standing behind her.

"I thought it best to be discreet and not be seen standing outside the Captain's quarters," she explained dryly.

"I see." Kathryn felt her body reacting to the nearness of this woman, yet found she was powerless to put any distance between them. "I was just…." She cleared her throat as she was now more determined to keep it professional. "I was on my way to find you."

"Oh?" Seven smiled knowingly. "You changed your mind."

"I'm sorry about earlier. I just…today was a really hard day for me."

"I remember," Seven responded more tenderly, taking a step closer and putting her hands on the older woman's shoulders. She looked at their reflection in the mirror. "You took on the Borg Queen for me."

"Yes I did." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I tried to remind myself that it all would work out because you came back from the future, but…" She trailed off as she opened her eyes and turned to face the blonde. "I was terrified that I would lose you," she admitted softly.

Seven pulled her close and Kathryn gave herself permission to relax into the strong arms holding her. She turned her head just enough so she could inhale the scent that was uniquely Seven of Nine, causing her lips to brush against the smooth skin on her neck. All of the pent up emotions from the day hit her…how much she cared for this woman, how close she came to losing her, and how much she wanted to forget about the Captain and Seven of Nine and just be Kathryn and Anna. She could feel Seven's heart beating furiously against her own and knew her self-control was hanging by a thread, so she pulled away to put some distance between them.

Seven frowned as she studied the other woman. She had felt Kathryn's heart rate speed up to twice its normal rate, her breathing become faster and shallower, and her cheeks were flushed two shades darker than normal. Her acute olfactory senses picked up the familiar pheromones, mixed with a new, unknown scent. Seven focused in on this new aroma, a pleasant musky smell that made the blonde want this woman even more. She locked her hands behind her back and started to slowly circle the Captain, looking very much like the hunter stalking its prey.

Kathryn felt all of the moisture in her body gather between her legs at the way Seven was looking at her, like she was literally about to eat her for dinner, and it made the throbbing between her legs intensify. Their eyes remained locked on each other. _God, her eyes are sexy. Her mouth is sexy. Her legs._ _Her breasts_. Starfleet protocol be damned; she didn't want to be Captain Janeway right now. No, she just wanted to be Kathryn, even if it was just for tonight. She didn't want to deny herself this one and only chance to be with this woman. She didn't think about all of the reasons why she shouldn't do this. She didn't want to do anything but feel Seven's body against her own, to feel her touch, how she tasted, and what she looked like when she climaxed. That last thought sent a flash of heat pulsating throughout her body, and before she could change her mind, she closed the distance between them and pulled the blonde's lips to hers.

Kathryn felt Seven's arms around her waist as the kiss deepened, and somehow she was being backed into the bedroom. She wanted to cry when the blonde pulled away as Kathryn fell back onto the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, watching as Seven stripped off her uniform in one fluid motion, her eyes never leaving Kathryn's. She felt her breath quicken as she took in the sight before her; she was so beautiful, standing there completely naked and offering herself up. Kathryn wanted to feel that skin against her, to cover it with her own.

"You have too many clothes on," Seven husked, as her hands reached out and began to undress the older woman.

Janeway's entire body reacted to the way Seven of Nine was looking at her. It was a look that made her feel desired and wanted, and for a moment she worried that she might orgasm just from the sheer intensity of it. Her heart began to beat wildly against her chest when the blonde moved them back up the bed, pushing Kathryn down and lifting herself up over her. "So beautiful," she murmured, then leaned down and placed the softest kiss on her lips. She put her hands around Seven's neck and held on as for the longest time they just kissed; long passionate kisses alternating with the movement of lips sliding against lips, sending sparks of heat down to between her legs. If these lips felt this good against her mouth, then she couldn't wait to feel it on other places. As if she could read her mind, Seven broke the kiss and began moving her lips down Kathryn's neck to her chest. She tipped her head back as she felt the blonde gently squeezing her breast with her soft, gentle hand. "Oh, God," she moaned, surprising herself with the sounds coming out of her mouth when she felt a hot tongue circling her nipple.

Seven watched Kathryn intently as lips and hands explored her body, keeping a detailed inventory of what touch elicited each and every noise. The last moan was nearly her undoing and she had to draw in a shaky breath in order to keep her own arousal from overwhelming her. Her hand continued to wander down Kathryn's body as her lips blazed a trail down her stomach, the smell of arousal drawing her down.

Kathryn could barely breathe. This woman was doing things to her body that made her feel things she had not felt in years, if ever. She had to grab onto the sheets as the rush of arousal was almost too much to bear when she finally felt that glorious mouth between her legs. "Oh…" She felt her climax starting to build and tried to hold it off, loving the feel of the tongue moving against her, pressing and releasing and then pushing into her as far as she could. She felt a finger glide over her swollen clit, causing her to pant as she strained her hips up to meet Seven's mouth. Kathryn felt Seven bury her tongue inside of her, then lick up her clit, back down inside her, and back up to her clit, and couldn't hold on any longer. The orgasm hit so fast she barely had time to react, the burn shooting through her and lighting up every nerve ending in her body. Blissful contractions came in waves, again and again, and then slowed until she was finally able to breathe again. She closed her eyes, feeling a little shaky, and eventually became aware that Seven had moved up behind her and was holding her in her strong arms. Her heart ached and she felt the tears stinging in her eyes. She shouldn't have done this, shouldn't have allowed it to happen. _Oh shit, you idiot! You knew better…she will leave and then what? You're going to have to pretend that you don't know exactly how good that felt when you have to see Seven every day_. Her hand rubbed over her face as she groaned loudly.

On instinct Seven gently kissed Kathryn's ear. "What's wrong?"

Janeway pushed herself up and away from Seven's warm embrace. "This shouldn't have happened."


	5. Chapter 5

**USS Voyager (Current Timeline)**

Kathryn Janeway's eyes popped open and she stared at the ceiling while waiting for her racing heartbeat to slow down. Blinking a few times, she felt all of the air leave her body as realization set it. "Oh my god, it wasn't a dream; it really happened." _All of it, even Seven going down on me with that amazing tongue of hers….. Oh my god oh my god oh my god! _Kathryn instantly shot up on the bed as a bead of sweat hung on her brow she yelped. "But how?" Janeway sighed in disbelief, throwing off the covers as she got out of bed and went to replicate a cup of coffee. "Computer, locate Seven of Nine."

"Unable to comply."

"Why's that?"

"Seven of Nine is no longer aboard Voyager."

Yesterday she had been worried sick about the former Borg, fearing something bad had happened to her. But after the very vivid, very erotic dream she had last night, not to mention the other dreams that were not dreams but actual memories, Captain Janeway was convinced that Seven of Nine had somehow traveled back in time and had interacted with her past self. _But who would send her back in time, and for what purpose? And why on earth did my past self sleep with her?_

"This is a mess," the Captain said to herself. The desperation she felt to find Seven was no longer fueled by fears for her safety, but rather a desire for answers. _Did I take advantage of her? _The images flashing before her eyes just prior to waking up suggested that Seven was the one who initiated a physical relationship. _Actually, it would appear that I kissed her this time, but to be fair, she pursued me. But I'm the Captain, and I should never have allowed it to happen_. Running her hands roughly over her face, she sighed heavily and went to get dressed. One way or another, she needed to figure out how to get Seven back on Voyager and fix this mess.

**USS Voyager (Dark Frontier)**

Janeway pushed herself up and away from Seven's warm embrace. "This shouldn't have happened."

Seven arched a questioning eyebrow. "Did you not enjoy our copulation, Kathryn?"

The Captain felt her face heat up. "Yes, of course…I mean, no, I shouldn't..." She shook her head and turned her face to hide the flush in her cheeks as she retrieved the discarded clothing from the floor. _I enjoyed it very much...too much. That's the problem_.

"Was I a less than satisfactory lover? Granted, I'm not as experienced as you are, but the intensity of your climax and the volume of your ejaculate indicated that you were sufficiently satisfied," she continued when the other woman remained silent. "Was I mistaken? Did you not find our amorous activities pleasurable?"

_Oh, Seven, you're going to be the death of me._ Kathryn kept her back turned as she finished getting dressed and contemplated how to answer the question. A part of her felt guilty that she didn't make love to Seven. She wanted to stomp her foot and protest that it wasn't fair that she had been deprived the chance to touch the body that she had fantasized about for so long….Not helping! She wanted to lie, but her damned body had already betrayed her, as Seven was already aware. Turning around, she was shocked to see that the blonde was still naked. Fighting the urge to throw her down on the bed and make love to her, she forced herself to look away. "Please get dressed," she choked out in a strained voice.

"Is that a command?"

"Yes," she squeaked and then cleared her throat. "I mean, yes." _She really is going to be the death of me. I can see it now on my tombstone. Kathryn Janeway, cause of death, seduction by Seven of Nine._

"I will comply, even though you are not MY commanding officer." Seven very slowly, agonizingly, tantalizingly, excruciating painfully slowly dressed and then repeated her question. "Did you not find our activities pleasurable?"

_Of course I did!_ "It's irrelevant," Kathryn deflected. "The fact of the matter is I shouldn't have let it happen. And I won't let it happen again." Her chest ached when Seven flinched at both of the words and the hard tone with which they were said.

"We've already talked about this," Seven responded in an almost bored tone. "It's an inefficient use of our time. You're the Captain, no fraternizing with crew, it's unprofessional, you don't want to take advantage…yada yada yada. Those are your arguments, are they not?"

_When did she start saying yada yada yada?_ "Seven," Kathryn sighed. "You don't have to like it, hell, I don't have to like it. But it is what it is, and nothing can change that." She rubbed her chest, where the ache was becoming more intense with the knowledge of what she was about to lose. "If things were different…"

Neither woman spoke as they continued to just stare at each other until Seven nodded in defeat. "You didn't finish."

"What?"

"You said if things were different. If things were different you'd be married to Mark and I would still be part of the Collective," Seven pointed out.

_If things were different, if we met under different circumstances…"_I'm sorry, Seven."

The beeping of Seven's tricorder interrupted the moment and the blonde furrowed her brows as she studied the display. "The intruder is on board. In Junction fifty two beta."

"Let's go catch this bastard," Janeway said, thankful for the interruption so she could easily slip back into her command role.

"Seven of Nine to Relativity."

Lieutenant Ducane immediately answered. "What is it?"

"I am pursuing the saboteur." Seven paused and looked over at the older woman. "With Captain Janeway's assistance."

"Go ahead," he sighed in resignation. They'd deal with the Janeway factor later.

"We'll take the starboard hatch," Janeway said, rushing out the door with the former Borg right behind her.

A few minutes later they had found the saboteur, who was none other than Captain Braxton from the future. After reporting to a stunned Braxton and Ducane, she and Janeway attempted to apprehend him, only to be thwarted when he beamed himself away.

"Relativity, he's escaped," Seven reported.

"Stand by," Ducane ordered and then a moment later he was back. "He's traveled to another time frame. Two years earlier."

"Transport me to those coordinates," Seven immediately responded, her eyes locked on the Captain's.

"It's too risky. You've made too many jumps already," Ducane countered.

"I am aware of the risks," the blonde stated firmly.

"Stand by," the Lieutenant answered after a brief pause.

Janeway reached out and grabbed Seven's upper arm. "You're not going anywhere. It's too dangerous."

Seven slowly arched an eyebrow as her eyes moved from the hand on her arm to the other woman's eyes. "With all due respect, you're not my commanding officer. I must finish my mission."

Before the Captain could protest, she was beamed onto Relativity, still holding onto Seven's arm. Feeling a little dizzy and disoriented, she shot a questioning gaze at the former Borg and slowly removed her hand. "Where are we?"

"Time ship Relativity," Ducane answered with a shake of his head. "Should I even ask what you're doing here?" He hesitated for a moment before turning to Seven. "We'll talk about this later; we don't have time right now. I'm going to beam you to Braxton so you can apprehend him." He glanced at the Captain. "And since you're here, you might as well help."

"Understood," Seven answered automatically, hands clasped behind her back waiting for transport.

"Alright," Janeway said. "But I'm going alone. It's too risky for Seven to make another jump."

Seven frowned, offended at the implication that she was not capable of completing the mission. "I'm fine."

"There's no time for debate. You're both going. Stand by for transport," Ducane ordered, and then watched as the two women disappeared.

Janeway reached out to grab the wall to keep from falling. "Does it always feel like that?"

"You'll get used to it," Seven replied. Spotting Braxton running in the hall, she pointed. "There he is." She took off with the older woman right behind her, and in a manner of minutes they had captured him. "Seven of Nine to Relativity. We've apprehended Braxton. How shall we proceed?"

"Stand by," Ducane answered. Seconds later he watched as Seven, Janeway, and Braxton appeared in front of him. Grabbing hold of the prisoner, he turned him over to the chief security officer. "Get him situated while I debrief our guests." He turned back to the two women. "Job well done." He nodded to the Captain. "Both of you."

"Thank you," Janeway acknowledged. "What happens now?"

"Now you will be returned to your respective timelines. You'll be integrated with your future selves so that there is only one of you both," he explained.

Janeway nodded. "Let's do it before my headache gets any worse."

"Stand by," Ducane ordered, as he prepared the final transport.

Kathryn's eyes darted over to Seven and she smiled softly. "So I guess I'll see you back in the 24th century."

"I look forward to it. Or should I saw backward?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Ducane interrupted. "I resequenced your memory engrams so that once you have returned to your timeline and are integrated, you will no longer remember anything that happened here. Everything from that first meeting at dry dock to leaving here will be erased." Before either woman could say anything, he beamed them out and they were gone.

**Voyager (Present Day)**

Kathryn Janeway woke up feeling dazed and disoriented. She had tears welling up in her eyes and an ache in her heart. The images, or memories rather, in her dreams had her on an emotional roller coaster that left her dizzy and fighting for air. In contrast to the very vivid mental picture of a very naked Seven, she felt the impact of the knowledge that it was over. There would be no more visits from the former Borg, no more kisses, no more lovemaking.

Swiping away the tears that had fallen on her cheeks, she reluctantly got out of bed and replicated her morning cup of coffee. In many ways, it would have been a lot easier if her memories really had been erased as Ducane had said they would. Wave after wave of sadness washed over her as memories of the past few years flashed before her eyes.

_Kathryn greeted the Borg who had been assigned to work with them. "I'm Captain Janeway and this is Lieutenant Tuvok," she said in introduction._

_The Borg looked unimpressed. "We are aware of your designations."_

_"_ _And what's your designation?"_

_"_ _Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One," she answered, circling Kathryn as she spoke. "But you may call me Seven of Nine."_

_Janeway felt her pulse quicken and she inhaled sharply. Seven! Her eyes searched the Drone's for any hint of recognition, and her heart sunk deep down into her gut when it didn't come. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the Borg as she tried to find any sign that her Seven was in there somewhere. An opportunity arose when there was a lull in the work and nobody else was around. "You're human, aren't you?"_

_Seven's eyes remained fixed on the PADD as she answered. "This body was assimilated 18 years ago. It ceased to be human at that time."_

_"_ _I'm curious," the Captain tried in a casual, conversational tone. "What was your name before you were assimilated?"_

_"_ _Do not engage us in irrelevant discourse," Seven scoffed._

_Captain Janeway nodded in acknowledgement. No, this was definitely not her Seven of Nine._

_Janeway stood in front of the alcove watching the sleeping Borg. It was hard to believe that this was the same beautiful woman who had swept her off her feet once upon a time. "Wake her up," she ordered the Doctor._

_"_ _Captain Janeway! What have you done?" Seven of Nine glared at her._

_Kathryn swallowed and tried not to think about the fact that these very lips that once kissed her senseless were now practically spitting venomous words at her. She sighed in resignation as she gave the order to sedate the Borg. It was going to be a long, hard road, but knowing that Seven would eventually embrace her humanity would make it worth it._

_Janeway steeled herself as she made her way to the Brig, where the former Borg was currently locked up after attempting to contact the Collective. She looked so lost and scared pacing the cell that it nearly broke the Captain's heart._

_"_ _I cannot function alone this way," Seven complained, her eyes filled with fear._

_Kathryn inhaled a sharp breath. "You are not alone. You're with me. With us."_

_Seven shook her head. "I don't remember being human. I don't know how," she said softly._

_Janeway reached over at the console and lowered the force field, causing the blonde to frown in confusion. "What are you doing?"_

_"_ _I'm coming in."_

_"_ _I'll kill you," Seven bit out sharply._

_"_ _I don't think you will," the older woman answered, her voice gentle. She kept her eyes on the former Borg as she entered the cell, making sure to leave plenty of space between them._

_"_ _Take me back to the Borg," Seven pleaded._

_Janeway shook her head. "I can't do that; I won't."_

_"_ _You're forcing this life on me!"_

_"_ _I'm giving you back what was stolen from you," Janeway said, her voice thick with emotion. "You were denied the ability to live your own life. Make your own choices. I'm giving that back to you."_

_"_ _I don't want to be human," Seven insisted, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't want that life."_

_"_ _It's what you are," Kathryn whispered, her heart breaking as she took another step closer. "I know you're afraid, but you're not alone. I promise you. I'll be there with you every step of the way."_

_The tears began to fall down Seven's cheeks. "No," she cried, turning to swing at the Captain. Janeway reacted quickly, grabbing the other woman before she fell, quickly moving them both to the bunk. She wrapped her arms around the distraught woman and providing comfort in the only way she knew how._

_Janeway got up off the floor and reached for a towel to wipe off her face. "Good game."_

_"_ _For you," Seven spat, clearly displeased with losing._

_Kathryn was nearly panting from exertion as she looked at the blonde, agitated and pacing. She bent down, almost breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath, the sight of Seven standing in the form fitting casual suit and sweat glistening all over her body nearly stealing the air from her lungs. "Oh come on, Seven. You won four out of ten rounds, nothing to be ashamed of."_

_Seven glared at her in disbelief. "On the contrary; I have superior visual acuity and stamina. I should have won every round."_

_Oh, how I'd like to test out that superior stamina. Kathryn inhaled a shaky breath and knew she had to get out of there before she did something she would regret. There was no doubt in her mind that she would very much enjoy it, yet she knew she couldn't. She shouldn't._

_"_ _I wish to play again," Seven demanded, her lip sticking out in a childlike pout._

_"_ _Not today."_

_Seven's jaw was set with determination. "Computer, begin first round."_

_She looks so freaking hot when she gets like that. No, no, stop thinking like that. Don't go there. "Delay that command," Janeway ordered. "Seven, try to be a sport. Game's over._

_Nine months. Nine months of being in close proximity to Seven, knowing what those lips and hands can do yet knowing it will never happen. Now Captain Janeway found herself on Dauntless, captured along with Seven and waiting to be assimilated by the Borg. She was standing close to the blonde as she attempted to adjust her cranial implant so they could escape the force field. Unable to help herself, she inhaled the familiar scent that was uniquely Seven of Nine as images from another timeline flashed before her eyes._

_"_ _Captain?" Seven looked at her with furrowed brows._

_Shit! She's wondering why I was practically sniffing her neck. Maintaining her composure, she smiled at the other woman. "I'm sorry," she stated simply._

_Seven's smile nearly took Kathryn's breath away. "It's okay. I was remembering too."_

_Janeway felt the air leave her lungs as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. Was it even possible? "What were you remembering?"_

_Seven's eyes locked on the Captain's. "How our relationship began."_

_Kathryn felt her heart begin to pound hard against her chest. "You remember?"_

_"_ _How could I forget? It was nine months ago, in a brig much like this one. You severed me from the Collective," Seven recalled. "I was not very happy about it."_

_Janeway's heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. "No, no you weren't." She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "In case I never get another chance to say this, I know I've been hard on you at times. But it was never out of anger. I will never regret knowing you." Her voice was full of emotion and she took a breath to settle her nerves and looked at the blonde as she said what she wishes she had said in another time and place. "I'm the Captain. I couldn't be your," she paused, searching for the right word. Lover. Partner. "I couldn't be your friend. Understand?"_

_"_ _No, however if we are assimilated, our thoughts will be one and I'm sure I will understand perfectly." She dipped her head to look Janeway in the eyes. "It was a joke, Captain."_

_Janeway smiled. "You've been working on your sense of humor, I see."_

_Seven nodded. "You were right, you know. My desire to remain in the Delta Quadrant was based on fear," she confessed honestly. "I am no longer Borg, but I am not quite human, either. The prospect of Voyager returning to Earth was unsettling. I don't know where I belong."_

_Kathryn wanted to pull Seven in her arms and reassure her that she would always have a place with her. "You belong with us." With me._

_"_ _The adaptations are complete," Seven said, essentially putting an end to the conversation._

_Captain Janeway was proud as she watched Seven mentor the drone, One, in becoming a human. "You've done a remarkable job with him," she complimented the former Borg._

_"_ _Thank you. I am concerned that he keeps expressing curiosity about the Borg," she confessed._

_"_ _I see. You're worried he might be want to join the Collective."_

_Seven nodded. "The lure of perfection is a powerful force, Captain. In spite of all the reasons why he shouldn't, he may still be drawn to it. With his advanced technology, the Collective would become even more powerful."_

_"_ _You know, part of being human is wanting what is forbidden. Sometimes the more we are told we can't have something, the more we want it," Janeway said, thinking of her situation with Seven of Nine. "Keep me posted."_

_…_ _._

_Captain Janeway's lips curved into a smile as she entered Cargo Bay 2. "I see you've picked up some bad habits," she commented to the blonde._

_"_ _Captain?"_

_"_ _The Doctor told you to regenerate for at least two days," she said, walking closer to the other woman. "You're violating a direct medical command."_

_"_ _I will comply when my work is completed," Seven remarked, turning her attention back to the monitor in front of her._

_Janeway looked to see what she was working on. "Borg tactical data?"_

_"_ _During my time at Unimatrix One I acquired a vast amount of knowledge. It may prove useful in our future encounters with the Borg. I am downloading into Voyager's database. The Borg believed that I was unique, that I understood humanity." She looked over into the older woman's eyes. "They were mistaken."_

_Janeway frowned. "How so?"_

_Seven averted her eyes back to the monitor. "I betrayed the crew of Voyager, threatened you with assimilation." She swallowed. "I did not expect you to return for me."_

_Janeway felt her chest ache with the desire to put her arms around this woman and just hold her, and had to remind herself of all the reasons why she couldn't. She shook her head and silently admonished herself. Now is not the time for that, Katie, and then cleared her throat. "Looks like you still have a few things to learn." She gave the other woman a stern look, to keep the softness she felt for this woman hidden away._

_"_ _When I am finished."_

_"_ _No, now. That's an order," she said firmly._

_Seven looked up and nodded. "Yes, Captain." She quickly moved to her alcove and stepped in, closing her eyes._

_Janeway watched her for a few moments and allowed herself to take off her Captain's mask as her eyes drank in the former Borg's beauty. She really is a beautiful woman. "Sweet dreams," she said wistfully and turned to leave, her heart longing for what she would never have again._

_…_ _._

_Janeway felt more than a little on edge as she tried to explain to the former Borg why it was inappropriate to learn about human mating rituals by spying on Tom and B'Elanna. Even though Janeway was the one who was determined that nothing would ever happen between them, as time passed she found herself questioning if that's what she really wanted._

_"_ _Have you ever considered trying it yourself? Romance, I mean." She didn't realize she was literally holding her breath waiting for the other woman to answer as a flicker of hope began to build in her chest._

_"_ _I do not require a romantic relationship," Seven said matter of factly._

_Kathryn tried to mask her disappointment, but her voice had an edge to it. "Then why did you collect thirty thousand gigaquads of information about it?" Looking away, she shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. I need to go. I'm running late." Without waiting for a response, she walked away and headed back to the Bridge._

_Hours later she found herself covertly watching as the Doctor was giving Seven lessons on romance. Captain Janeway had never considered herself to be a religious person, but being forced to watch the Seven dancing with the Doctor, she was now convinced that she was living in hell. Okay, so nobody was really forcing her to watch, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Her eyes fixated on the blonde and she couldn't help but think back to the dance they shared so long ago. Why do I keep torturing myself like this? Part of her felt very silly for spying on Seven and the Doctor on the Holodeck, but she didn't seem to be able to pull herself away. There was no denying that she wanted Seven. Badly. Having experienced what it felt like to feel her naked skin again her own, those hands touching her body, those lips…You've got to stop! It can't happen. The truth of the matter was, once upon a time she was adamant that she could not be with Seven of Nine. And now that she knew it was not possible, there was nothing she wanted more. Yes, Kathryn Janeway was definitely in hell._

_All of sudden Janeway realized she remembered everything. "Holy Fuck! That's not how it happened!" She gulped in a huge breath of air as she realized her memories had been changed. "Wait aren't I suppose to have forgotten everything? What the hell went wrong? And now I have to live with this day in and day out knowing all this time that Seven made love to me." She spewed to herself feeling dizzy and now sick and the coffee she drank earlier wanted to come back up. She choked it back down and rubbed at her forehead._

_The actual events did not change because of the temporal incursion, but Janeway's feelings attached to those memories had been permanently altered thanks to Relativity not erasing her memories. Like they said they would._

…..

Kathryn reluctantly got up and changed into her Starfleet uniform and tried to start her day like every other day that she has been Captain.

"Good morning, Captain," Neelix enthusiastically greeted. "I've finished all the preparations for the party tonight."

"The party?"

"You remember, the quarterly crew morale parties," he reminded her. "You're coming, right?"

"I'm not sure," Janeway hesitated, not sure if she could handle watching Seven practice her dating lessons up close and personal.

"But you have to come. You're the Captain," Neelix persisted. "It's much better for morale when the crew gets to interact with you in a more casual environment. That's the whole point of these parties."

Janeway sighed. _He's right_. Damn it. "I'll be there."

Neelix grinned. "Great. I'll see you there."

Janeway was able to get through the day without having to interact with Seven, and she was both grateful and disappointed. She stood outside in the hall and briefly contemplated just going back to her quarters and drinking, but in the end, she knew she couldn't disappoint the crew and went inside. She put on a phony smile and made small talk with the others, while keeping an eye out for the object of her affection. Her breath caught in her throat when she spotted Seven walking in. Her hair was down, framing her face and the purple dress that stopped mid-thigh clung to her like a second skin. _Fuck she's so beautiful. What the hell is she wearing? Why is she wearing that? It doesn't make any sense; is she trying to kill me?_

Kathryn watched as Seven sat a small table drinking a glass of champagne. She found herself drawn to the blonde and slowly moved that way. Even though she was stopped to talk to a crewmember, her eyes remained locked on the former Borg. She watched as Harry Kim approached Seven and awkwardly attempted to flirt with her, and had to remind herself that she had no right to feel jealous. The entire scenario was so familiar, so reminiscent of that first encounter at the Voyager launch party so long ago that it made her heart physically ache.

Seven was likewise feeling that wave of déjà vu. In the last 24 hours she had traveled back and forth through time. Ducane had said they would not remember anything that happened, but Seven's Borg technology was far more advanced than anything on Relativity. Temporal Prime Directive be damned, she wanted to rush right to the Captain and pick up where they left off, but it was obvious from the other woman's cool, professional demeanor that Ducane had successfully erased the Captain's memories. Captain Janeway could barely even look at Seven, and the few times they did encounter each other, the older woman was aloof and distant, leaving the former Borg feeling extremely sad and frustrated. Noticing the Captain's eyes on her, she couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face.

"Captain Janeway," Seven greeted her, searching the other woman's features for any hint that she remembered their time together.

"Seven," she said, before turning to acknowledge Harry. "Mr. Kim, please tell me that you are not hitting on your commanding officer's," she paused and cleared her throat. "I mean your Chief Astrometrics Officer," she covered, hoping that the near slip would not be noticed.

Seven's eyes went wide, remembering how Kathryn had similarly chastised Paris for coming on to her at the Starfleet party. Her pulse quickened. _Was it just a coincidence, or did she remember also? But that would be impossible. Captain Janeway does not have my enhanced Borg technology, there's no way she could remember_. She narrowed in on her commanding officer, noting the slightly flushed skin and the way her heart rate slightly increased as she avoided eye contact with the blonde. _Or is_ there?

Kathryn felt Seven's eyes boring into hers and swallowed nervously. She felt like the other woman was looking right through her. _I've got to be careful. She's way too observant, especially with all her enhanced sensory abilities. Damn those Borg and their technology!_

The longer she watched the Captain, the more Seven started to wonder if Kathryn did indeed somehow remember. She noticed the way her eyes dilated fifty percent when looking at Seven, and she could sense her body temperature rising. Not to mention the fact that Kathryn was practically oozing pheromones. _That doesn't mean she remembers, it just means she is sexually aroused._ Seven knew she had to be careful, because if she was wrong, she not only risked violating the temporal prime directive, but Captain Janeway would surely think she had lost her mind.

Janeway felt herself squirm under the intense scrutiny and tried to deflect the blonde's attention. "I hear you've become quite the dancer."

"Yes; the Doctor was an adequate teacher," she said nonchalantly, purposely repeating what she had said at their first meeting.

"He did an excellent job," Janeway agreed. "You're quite good at it."

Seven inhaled sharply. "How do you know that? I haven't danced yet," she pointed out, becoming even more suspicious that she was not the only one who remembered.

Kathryn felt her heart rate accelerate as she mentally chastised herself for the slip. "Actually, I saw the two of you practicing on the Holodeck the other day," she covered.

"I see," the blonde stated. It was a believable story, and perhaps it was just a coincidence that they were having almost word for word a conversation that had occurred in the other timeline. The silenced stretched out between them until Seven turned to Janeway. "Captain, have I offended you somehow?"

"No! Of course not," Kathryn answered, shocked that Seven would suggest such a thing. "What makes you think that?"

"We have not interacted much lately," Seven said, her voice tinged with sadness.

"What? Of course we have! We're interacting right now, aren't we?" Janeway felt more than a little guilty that the former Borg had picked up on her avoidance. No matter what, she didn't want to make her feel bad.

"Superficial conversation," Seven pointed out. "It's been twelve days, thirty five minutes, and eleven seconds since we talked about something other than EPS manifolds."

"You know I really hate it when you do that," the Captain muttered.

"You do? You've never said anything," Seven said, keeping her tone casual. _Not in this timeline anyway_.

"I haven't? Huh, I thought I'd mentioned it once or twice. My mistake," Kathryn said as she rubbed at her temple and silently cursed Ducane. Having memories from two separate timelines can be so confusing, not to mention stressful! She could feel her anxiety escalating and needed to put some distance between herself and Seven. "You know, I'm feeling pretty tired. I think I'm going to call it a night." And with that, Captain Janeway quickly left for the sanctuary of her quarters.

_Oh she definitely remembers, I'm sure of it_. Seven watched her leave and waited precisely three minutes before setting down her glass and following the older woman, trying to think of the best way to broach the subject. _I can't just say 'hey do you remember when I traveled back in time and we copulated?' _Pausing for a moment, she collected herself before requesting entrance.

"Seven?" Kathryn said, clearly surprised to see her standing there with her hands behind her back. "I'm surprised you didn't just beam yourself in here again," she said without thinking.

_Gotcha!_ _The only time I beamed myself into her quarters was in the other timeline._ Seven's eyes locked on to the Captain's and she smirked as her suspicions were confirmed. "When have I ever beamed into your quarters, Captain?"

"What are you talking about?" Janeway tried to deflect, her face burning bright red at being caught.

"Are you damaged, Captain?" Seven inquired formally, appearing to have changed the subject.

"Nope, no damage. I'm just tired," Kathryn assured her. "But thanks for checking on me." When Seven didn't move, she gave her a pointed look. "You're dismissed."

"I don't know, Captain. You really don't look well. Your pulse is racing and your cheeks are flushed," Seven pointed out. "Perhaps I should escort you to Sickbay."

"I don't need to go to Sickbay; I told you, I'm just fine," Kathryn said tiredly. "And it's not fair for you to read me like that!"

"You yourself have told me on more than one occasion that life isn't fair," she smirked inwardly. "You say you're fine, yet you are clearly exhibiting symptoms of increased body temperature, an elevated heart rate, shortness of breath and irritability," Seven pointed out. "Perhaps I should monitor you to insure your condition does not deteriorate."

"I'm not irritable," the Captain snapped. "And I certainly don't need a babysitter." When Seven made no move to leave, she sighed wearily and motioned with her arm. "You're dismissed," she said again through gritted teeth.

"Since you're not damaged and you don't need a babysitter, perhaps we can talk about what happened on Relativity," Seven said, as the implant over her eye arched with nothing but satisfaction in her blue eyes.

Captain Janeway's eyes widened almost comically as she stared at the blonde. "I don't know what you're talking about." She gulped.

"Please don't lie to me," Seven stated, trying to keep her voice level and not let her frustration show.

Kathryn felt her throat constrict and the tears in her eyes threatened to fall by the way Seven was looking at her. "Seven, please don't do this. Please, just let it go."

"Why?" It was all that Seven could muster through tight lips, fighting down the sorrow she was feeling. Her eyes were now downcast, clearly not a typical trait of the former Borg.

"You know why Seven," Janeway replied softly, trying desperately to hide the frown on her lips.

Seven's face tightened. "And it's stupid," she voiced sharply. "Can you honestly stand there and tell me that this will be okay, knowing how we feel and having to act normal around each other?" She swallowed. "It hurts Captain, and if we can't… then I don't think I can remain on Voyager."

"Seven," Janeway said, her voice gravelly and her heart aching. "It hurts me too, trust me. I have all these new memories and you don't know how hard it's been on me all these years knowing how I feel and not be able to tell you…or to show you."

"Then this conversation seems stupid and futile," Seven remarked, taking a step closer to her Captain. "In fact, maybe we shouldn't talk at all."

Janeway caught her breath. "If that is what you need to do Seven, to maybe put some distance between us, I can and will accept that. But you will not leave Voyager." She felt her composed voice start to break, along with her the walls she constricted around her heart slowly dissolve with the fear that this woman might leave this ship… leave her.

Seven picked up on it instantly and just dipped her head toward the older woman and gently cupped her cheek. "That's not what I meant, Kathryn."

Janeway finally dared to look at her. "Seven?" she husked, clearly shaken by the Borg's caring touch.

"Yes," Seven replied, as she placed a finger under Janeway's chin and raised her face to her. "I accept that you feel you can't be with me because of some stupid regulation protocol, but first of all I'm not Starfleet, and second it's a dumb protocol," she added sincerely, with only a touch of a smile that bowed her full lips.

Janeway couldn't help match the smile on Seven's lips and decided to do something she rarely ever did…she agreed with Seven thinking that her astronomics officer was right that it really was a dumb protocol, especially when they were light years from home. She found her arms moving around the taller woman's neck, something she's been wanting to do for a long time. "I am going to have to concur with you," she said almost Captain like, yet the mischievous twinkle in her eyes was one Seven was sure she had never seen before.

"Captain?"

"Not in my quarters Seven; here you call me Kathryn."

"Yes, Kathryn." Seven said and slid her arms around the smaller woman's waist.

"Oh and Seven?"

"Yes, Kathryn."

"I think it's time I made love to you."

Seven's lips quickly fell into a bright happy smile. "I'd have to concur with you Capt…." The former Borg cleared her throat. "I mean Kathryn," she corrected.

That made another smile form on the Captain's face. She had such an eagerness to kiss this woman, hell she had wanted to ever since the last time they kissed, which if she asked Seven she'd give her a specific date. Kathryn didn't need that, she knew in her heart how long it had been, so without waiting another nanosecond she drew the former Borg's head down for a long, loving kiss. She kissed her deeply, her tongue tracing along her full lips before gently slipping between them. That familiar tingle shot through her, the desire rising in her like an inescapable torpedo ready to unravel her entire soul. She slid her hands down from Seven's shoulders to her chest to cover the full breasts over her silver bio suit.

For the first time in Seven's existence she muttered something that Janeway couldn't comprehend. "What was that?" Kathryn asked, her voice trembling with desire.

Seven just pressed closer to Janeway, using her own hands to tug at the smaller woman's waist so she could press her entire body against hers. "I said let's move this to the bedroom."

Kathryn smirked. "Agreed." She then reaching down and took Seven's hand in her own and led her to the bedroom. She took her time this time; there was no need to hurry this process. She was going to show this ex-Borg just how skilled her Captain really was in this area.


End file.
